Decorah pharmacies now offering to dispose of old medications for free

Do you have some old prescription drugs in your medicine cabinet? Now there's a way to dispose of those pills without damaging the environment. Medicap Pharmacy and Donlon Pharmacy in Decorah are participating in the Iowa Pharmacy Association's "Take Away" medication disposal program.

The program accepts unused or expired prescription medicines, including pills, creams, lotions and liquids in bottles of less than 4 ounces. Controlled substances and liquids greater than 4 ounces cannot be accepted. The medicine must be brought in to either pharmacy in the packaging the medication was dispensed in.
Pharmacist Sue Burks of Medicap Pharmacy says the medications are put into a sealed and secure box. When the box is full, it is shipped to an FDA-approved facility in Texas, where the medications are incinerated. This keeps the medications from being put in an Iowa landfill and possibly affecting the groundwater.

The program began statewide on November 9th, with 300 pharmacies participating. Pharmacist Stan Fullerton of Donlon Pharmacy says the program has been "going gangbusters" at his store. On person alone brought in two garbage bags full of old prescriptions after cleaning out a relative's medicine cabinet. Both Donlon's and Medicap accept prescription medicines from any source--including from those outside Decorah. "We would love for them to bring (prescriptions) in," says Fullerton.

If you have any questions about the Takeaway Program, you can contact your local pharmacist or visit the Iowa Pharmacy Association's website at: www.iarx.org/takeaway