Walgreens expands safe drug disposal options

Program will be implemented in all pharmacy locations.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Walgreens announced on Monday it has delivered on the expansion of its safe drug disposal program announced last fall to provide year-round drug disposal options in all of its pharmacies nationwide, at no cost to customers. To complement its existing national effort to make the disposal of unwanted medications safer, easier and more convenient, all Walgreens pharmacies that do not currently offer a safe medication disposal kiosk now offer DisposeRx packets or other drug disposal options, available upon request for customers to safely discard their unwanted medications at home.

“We recognize the need to provide solutions to dispose of unwanted medications that meet the preferences of all our customers. By combining the availability of a take home drug disposal option with our existing safe medication disposal kiosks, 78% of Americans now live within 5 miles of a drug disposal option conveniently available in every Walgreens pharmacy,” said Lisa Badgley, Walgreens senior vice president of pharmacy and retail operations. “We are proud to be the first retail pharmacy to make Drug Take Back Day available every day in our stores.”

DisposeRx packets, according to the manufacturer, contain a blend of proprietary solidifying materials that provide a site-of-use solution for the disposal of medication. When water and the DisposeRx powder are added to unwanted medications in the prescription vial and shaken, the drugs are rendered unavailable and unusable, allowing for the safe disposal at home.

DisposeRx packets are the most recent addition to Walgreens ongoing and comprehensive effort to combat the opioid epidemic. Walgreens offers safe medication disposal kiosks in 1400 of its pharmacies across 46 states and Washington, D.C., which have collected and led to the safe disposal of more than 1.2 million pounds of unwanted prescriptions, including controlled substances and other medications.

Both resources make the disposal of medications easier and more convenient, while helping to reduce the misuse of medications and the rise in overdose deaths.

The company has also expanded its use of secure time delay safes in more than 6,500 of its pharmacies across 42 states and Washington, D.C. designed to prevent diversion of controlled substances by averting the accessibility of narcotic medications by unauthorized individuals.

Walgreens also stocks naloxone in all of its pharmacies and is able to dispense the medication without requiring a prescription in 48 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.

To learn more of Walgreens efforts visit Walgreens.com/combatdrugabuse.

Walgreens pharmacies in Iowa and Nebraska without safe medication disposal kiosks offer alternative drug disposal options available upon request in the pharmacy at no cost.