Local Integrative Pharmacy Offers Environmentally Safe Way to Dispose of Unwanted or Expired Drugs

Flushing or trashing pharmaceutical products can be harmful to area water supplies and the Chesapeake Bay.

Village Green Apothecary is now providing a safe, environmentally savvy way to dispose of unwanted and expired drugs. When consumers bring them into the pharmacy located at 5415 W. Cedar Lane in Bethesda, the drugs will be properly disposed of using the TakeAway Environmental Return System. Over-the-counter and prescription medications qualify, excepting controlled substances. "Just as we are focused on individualized nutrition, we are also focused on how the environment can impact each individual," says Marc Isaacson, president and owner of Village Green. “It’s a very easy process. There’s a simple form that you can download from our website at http://www.myvillagegreen.com, or you can complete it in our store. Your privacy is absolutely ensured, and we ship items received directly to the facility that destroys the medications."

The TakeAway program employs a waste-to-energy process, ensuring that the energy used to incinerate the drugs is harnessed as electricity. Around 200 million pounds of unused drugs are generated by Americans each year, according to the National Community Pharmacists Association.

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