Hoosiers throughout central Indiana have safer, cleaner medicine cabinets today, thanks to Marsh Pharmacies, State Wide Medical Services and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM).
The unwanted medicine collection at all 41 Marsh Pharmacies over the weekend resulted in thousands of prescriptions and over-the-counter medications being discarded in a safe and environmentally-friendly manner. The public was also educated on safe ways to dispose of controlled substances.
"Proper disposal of medications is particularly important, and pharmaceuticals should never be poured down the drain as wastewater treatment facilities are not designed to remove this type of waste," said IDEM Commissioner Thomas Easterly.
Furthermore, pharmaceutical discards pose a poisoning hazard to pets and children, and patient information displayed on discarded containers increases the risk for identity theft. "I encourage Hoosiers to utilize medicine disposal programs provided by their solid waste management districts or by companies like Marsh Pharmacies," stated Easterly.
The collection program offered Hoosiers a quick, convenient opportunity to safely clean out their medicine cabinets. "Disposing of my old medicine was so easy," said Indianapolis resident Scott Derr. "It didn't hurt a bit."
The Indiana Poison Center and CLS/Med-Turn also sponsored the unwanted medicine collection.
For more information about recycling and the proper disposal of unwanted medications and other household hazardous waste, visit recycle.IN.gov/5724.htm.
About IDEM
IDEM (http://www.idem.in.gov/) implements federal and state regulations regarding the environment. Through compliance assistance, incentive programs and educational outreach, the agency encourages and aids businesses and citizens in protecting Hoosiers and our environment.
About Marsh Supermarkets
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Marsh (http://www.marsh.net/) operates 99 Marsh Supermarkets and five O'Malia's Food Markets in Indiana and Ohio. The largest pharmacy chain based in the state of Indiana, Marsh has 41 pharmacy locations. Marsh has the distinction of being the first grocery store in the world to use electronic scanners to ring up purchases. Nearly 11,000 employees serve two million customers weekly.
Scott Derr of Indianapolis turns in a variety of unwanted medication to Marsh Pharmacist Carolyn Mills. Marsh Pharmacies and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management worked to educate Hoosiers on the proper way to dispose of unwanted medication at 41 locations across the central Indiana this past weekend.
Marsh Pharmacist Carolyn Mills marks out a patient name on prescription medication that was turned in during an unwanted medicine collection sponsored by Marsh Pharmacies and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. The goal of the program was to educate Hoosiers about the proper way to dispose of unneeded and expired medications.
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