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330 pharmacies across Iowa are participating in the TakeAway
program! Read this web page for more information!
Find a TakeAway Pharmacy near
you - click here to search by zipcode
Find a Solid Waste Agency in
Iowa –
click here
Purpose of TakeAway
Medication disposal practices commonly used today compromise the integrity of water
supplies. Unused and expired drugs pile up in home medicine cabinets, which increase
the likelihood for teenagers, elderly, pets, or others to misuse or abuse them.
The TakeAway program aims to reverse these trends by providing the public
with a safe, easy way to properly dispose of unwanted and expired medications. TakeAway
uses community pharmacies across the state as take-back sites.
How TakeAway Works
Bring unwanted and expired medicines into a participating TakeAway pharmacy.
The pharmacist will dispose of the returned medications into a TakeAway system,
a waste bin specially designed to safely store discarded pharmaceutical products
along with their packaging.
Once filled, the TakeAway system is sealed and shipped to a medication disposal
facility where the entire TakeAway system and its contents are incinerated.
This ensures unused and expired pharmaceuticals do not enter water supplies. In
addition, the incineration facility used by the TakeAway program employs
a waste-to-energy incineration process—meaning the energy produced by incineration
is harnessed into electricity.
Some participating pharmacies also sell TakeAway envelopes, pre-addressed,
pre-postage paid large envelopes that can be taken into the home, filled with unused
and expired medicine, and mailed through the United States Postal Service to the
disposal facility.
TakeAway Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ for patients and consumers - click here.
FAQ for pharmacists - click here.
TakeAway History - Iowa
Legislation passed in Iowa during 2009 called for the creation of an Iowa community
pharmacy-based “pharmaceutical collection and disposal pilot program.” The Iowa
Department of Natural Resources awarded grant funds to the Iowa Board of Pharmacy
who worked closely with the Iowa Pharmacy Association to offer the TakeAway
pilot program.
Where to dispose of controlled substances
- local medication disposal initiatives with Law Enforcement
Saturday, October 17th – Clayton
County –
details
Saturday, November 17th - Dallas County -
details
February 6, 2010 - Cedar County -
details
May 13th, 2010 – Wayne County
TakeAway Partners
Contact IPA
To contact IPA staff regarding the TakeAway program please visit the
Contact Us page.
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