For more information, contact:
Cheryl Wittke, Executive Director
(608) 256-6713
Amanda Langan, Communications Director
(608) 381-5269
TO DATE, 18 TONS OF UNUSED MEDICINES DISPOSED OF THROUGH MEDDROP
Safe Communities Madison-Dane County announced a coordinated effort between Dane County, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District and area health care organizations today to promote MedDrop as the best, most environmentally friendly way to dispose of medicines. This effort also serves as a reminder for citizens to ‘Be Good to the Earth – don’t flush medicines,’ and take them to MedDrop instead.
Since 2012, the 350 partner organizations of Safe Communities and law enforcement agencies at 13 Dane County MedDrop box locations have helped to keep nearly 18 tons of unused medicines out of the water supply, wildlife resources, and medicine cabinets.
“Coordinated collections such as these are a safe way dispose of household pharmaceuticals correctly without dangerous health consequences,” said Dane County Executive Joe Parisi. “With drug overdose now exceeding traffic crashes as Dane County’s number one cause of injury-related death, MedDrop addresses a critical safety concern by preventing misuse and diversion of these drugs.”
Local partners who have made this nationally-recognized model project possible include: Dean; Group Health Cooperative; Mallat’s Pharmacy; Meriter UnityPoint Health; St. Mary’s Hospital; Target Madison; UW Health & Unity; UW Hospital and Walgreens.
“The majority of MedDrop program is funded by Dane County because its leaders are committed to a safe and healthy community,” said Cheryl Wittke, Executive Director of Safe Communities Madison-Dane County.
“Our mission at Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) is protecting public health and the environment, and partnering with Safe Communities’ MedDrop to encourage safe pharmaceutical disposal is a great opportunity to do both,” said Michael Mucha, Chief Engineer and Director Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District.
MedDrop, from its inception, has been a collaboration of health care and environmental stewardship programs. It began due to efforts of Madison Patient Safety Collaborative, a coalition of all area health care partners, to protect the environment and promote safety, according to Russ Jensen, Coordinator and Founding Member, Safe Communities MedDrop Advisory Group.
In May, Dane County law enforcement agencies will stage a “round-up,” to collect more than 800 containers that hold a total of nearly 5 tons of medicines which will be transported and destroyed under police supervision.
For more information about the MedDrop program, visit: http://safercommunity.net/meddrop.php.
