Clark County Public Health is teaming up with the Medication Education and Disposal Project (MED-Project) to provide safe and free disposal of expired, unwanted or unused medicine in a convenient way.
The MED-Project is a nonprofit that provides residents with year-round medicine drop off locations such as at pharmacies, medical facilities and law enforcement offices. In addition to existing operation programs in many counties across Washington State, MED-Project has activated more than 150 additional drop off locations in the state with a plan to add more.
The sites accept controlled and non-controlled medications in any dosage form in their original container or a sealed bag. Sites do not accept herbal remedies, vitamins, supplements, mercury-containing thermometers, sharps, illicit drugs or pet pesticide products.
“Proper disposal of unwanted medications protects the health and safety of our community and the environment,” Clark County Environmental Public Health director Janis Koch said in a news release. “These new disposal sites make it more convenient for Clark County residents to safely dispose of medicine they no longer need.”
In Clark County, there are 12 drop-off sites residents can visit during business hours to dispose of unwanted medicine:
• Battle Ground Police Department, 507 SW 1st St., Battle Ground
• Hi-School Pharmacy, 1365 Lewis River Road, Woodland
• Hi-School Pharmacy, 3200 NE 52nd St., Vancouver
• Kaiser Permanente Cascade Park Pharmacy, 12607 SE Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver
• Kaiser Permanente Orchards Pharmacy, 7101 NE 137th Ave., Vancouver
• Kaiser Permanente Salmon Creek Pharmacy, 14406 NE 20th Ave., Vancouver
• QFC Pharmacy, 3505 SE 192nd Ave., Vancouver
• Ridgefield Police Department, 116 N Main Ave., Ridgefield
• Rite Aid Pharmacy, 2800 NE 162nd Ave., Vancouver
• Rite Aid Pharmacy, 13511 SE Third Way, Vancouver
• Washougal Police Department, 1320 A St., Washougal
• Woodland Police Department, 200 E Scott Ave., Woodland
Those who would prefer mailing back unwanted medicine for disposal can request free, pre-paid, pre-authorized packages by visiting med-project.org/washington or by calling (844) 633-7765.
Public health and the MED-Project remind citizens that unwanted medications should not be thrown away and never flushed.
