Cleaning out the medicine cabinet? Drop off unused prescriptions at UVA Saturday

If you are looking for a safe space to dispose of an unwanted prescription or other medication, the University of Virginia is offering a one-day event to help you clear your medicine cabinet.

UVA will hold a prescription drug take-back event on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the Emily Couric Cancer Center.

It is not recommended to throw medicine in the trash because it can harm the environment, lead to accidental poisoning and be misused by others. Improper disposal may result in drugs contaminating water supplies, children or pets accidentally ingesting them or people obtaining them for abuse, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The public is welcome to walk up or drive through to drop off unused or unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications.

Injectable devices and needles will not be accepted.

The center is located at 1240 Lee St., across from the main entrance to UVA Health University Medical Center.

The event is sponsored by UVA Health Pharmacy, UVA Health Department of Anesthesiology’s Pain Management Center, the UVA Office of Pain Management and Opioid Stewardship and the UVA Police Department.

There are also multiple locations that will accept medications for disposal year-round.

Central Virginia medicine disposal

Central Virginia residents may safely and securely dispose of unwanted prescription medications year-round at medication receptacles located at eight of UVA Health’s outpatient pharmacies including:

• UVA Outpatient Pharmacy at Education Resource Center (1240 Lee St., Charlottesville)
• Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center Pharmacy (1240 Lee St., Charlottesville)
• UVA Pantops Pharmacy (590 Peter Jefferson Parkway, Suite 175, Charlottesville)
• UVA Pharmacy Ivy Road (2280 Ivy Road, Room 1110, Charlottesville)
• UVA Student Health Pharmacy (550 Brandon Ave., Room 116, Charlottesville)
• UVA Bookstore Pharmacy (400 Emmet St. South, Charlottesville)
• UVA Augusta Pharmacy (57 Beam Lane, Suite 101, Fishersville)
• UVA Zion Crossroads (1015 Spring Creek Parkway, Zion Crossroads)

The year-round medication receptacles are for prescription and over-the-counter medications only. Illegal drugs and medical waste such as syringes and needles are not accepted. Pharmacy team members cannot handle any medications brought for disposal to the year-round disposal locations.