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Press Releases:
- Group Health Recognized for its Partnership with Washington's Medicine Return Program - June 18, 2008
Partnerships between businesses, government, and non-profits are often tenuous. But in Washington state, one such partnership is making huge strides to protect the community and environment, and is taking home awards as a result.
Legislators, Pharmacists, Health Advocates: Something Must Be Done to Ensure Safe Disposal of Unwanted Medicines
Articles About the Medicine Return Program:
- WA lawmaker wants drug cos to take back medicine - December 31, 2008, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
A state lawmaker wants to make drug companies responsible for disposing of unused medicine that could end up in the environment or be abused by teens.
Rep. Dawn Morrell, D-Puyallup, says she'll push legislation requiring pharmaceutical companies to set up and pay for a statewide drug disposal program, much in the way that electronics manufacturers are now required to recycle TVs and computers.
- Pill takeback a great prescription - May 29, 2008, Guest Column by Rep. Dawn Morrell, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
With increased awareness of pharmaceuticals in streams, groundwater and even drinking water, now is a good time to think about a producer-responsibility approach to pharmaceuticals in Washington.
- Finally, a safe, environmental way to get rid of old medicine - January 22, 2008, Seattle Times
Don't know what to do with your old, expired medications? Until now, there has been no safe and environmentally benign way to dispose of unused or expired medicine.
- Teens' drugs of choice are right at home - Aug 26, 2007, Editorial by Rob McKenna The Everett Herald
Recent data on drug trends in this country show that teens see abusing prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines as safer than street drugs.
- The environmental side effects of old medicine - May 5, 2007, Seattle Times
How many bottles or vials of medication do you have in your home?
- Blue Bins at Patients’ Disposal – April 22, 2007, USA Today
Patients at seven Group Health clinics in Washington state have a new way to get rid of their old medications: They just take them to the clinics and drop them into big blue bins - similar to mail boxes - as part of a pilot program that could be a model for other health care systems nationwide, says Shirley Reitz, associate director for clinical pharmacy services.
- New Way to Dump Old Meds – March 2, 2007, Everett Herald
Pioneering 'drug take-back' program could help keep water safe. Group Health and the state Department of Ecology are part of a growing coalition trying to get manufacturers to take back old medicine the way some programs target TVs and other electronics.
- Curing the Problem of Discarding Old Pills – February 1, 2007, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
At one time, pharmacies and physicians were OK with consumers flushing unwanted or expired medications down the toilet or throwing them in the garbage. Now, we know better.