Securely dispose of expired, unwanted medications any time at Tidelands Health hospitals

Oct. 30, 2023
Contact: Dawn Bryant
Tidelands Health
(843) 652-1636
dbryant@tidelandshealth.org
 
News for Immediate Release:

Securely dispose of expired, unwanted medications any time at Tidelands Health hospitals
You can drop off unwanted or expired medications any time at Tidelands Health hospitals.
Secure kiosks for medication disposal are available near the main entrances at Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital, 606 Black River Road, and Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital, 4070 U.S. 17 in Murrells Inlet.
Simply drop off expired or unwanted medications in the MedDrop collection containers for proper disposal by Stericycle, a medical waste management company.
Since the containers were installed in July, more than 150 pounds of medication have been collected. Disposing of medication properly helps prevent abuse and potential environmental harm.
The secure drop-off containers, available every day of the year, supplement medication take-back events offered in the community that usually coincide with National Prescription Drug Take Back Days in April and October. The most recent National Prescription Drug Take Back Day was Saturday.
“Our team knew from the mounds of medications collected at special take-back events in recent years that there was demand in our community for additional, permanent medication drop-off locations that are secure and convenient,” said Patrick Devlin, director of safety and emergency management. “We have been impressed by how many community members have already used our MedDrop containers; we’ve collected more medications than anticipated. We are proud to offer this free service to our community and applaud those who are making the effort to use them.”
Community members can drop off prescription and over-the-counter medications for free using the MedDrop kiosks at Tidelands Waccamaw and Tidelands Georgetown. All medications should be contained in a sealed bottle or jar, especially liquids, creams and ointments. Remove or obscure any personally identifiable information. For safety reasons, the kiosks cannot accommodate medications with any needles, sharps, aerosols or batteries.
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About Tidelands Health
Tidelands Health is the region’s largest health care provider and MUSC Health affiliate, serving the Carolinas at four hospitals and more than 60 outpatient locations. More than 2,500 employee, physician and volunteer partners work side by side with our communities to transform the health of our region – promoting wellness, preventing illness, encouraging recovery and restoring health.