BENNINGTON, Vt. — Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), is proud to participate with local organizations to share National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 30. 

 

The observation provides a reminder for community members to look through their medicine cabinets and safely dispose of medications that could cause harm to others.

 

SVMC hosts a MedSafe collection box, which is available 24 hours every day for the anonymous disposal of unneeded medications. During a major renovation of the Emergency Department and Main Entrance, the box, which had been in the lobby, is located in the Emergency Department registration and waiting area. Those interested in disposing of medications should enter through the Canopy Entrance, take a left inside the door, and continue straight into the Emergency Department registration and waiting area.   

 

Disposing of unused and expired medications at a drug take-back location prevents them from being abused or sold. In the past, people often flushed medications down a toilet or drain, which can cause pharmaceutical contamination of the water supply.

 

In the more than 4 years since the MedSafe box installation at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, it has facilitated retrieval of more than 2,000 pounds of unwanted medications from homes and the street. The box looks like a mailbox, featuring a one-way medicine drop. It can be used to dispose of unused or expired controlled substances, non-controlled substances, and even over-the-counter medications.

 

The program is made possible through The Collaborative; Regional Prevention Partnership, a grant from the Vermont Department of Health; and cooperation from the Bennington Police Department, notably Chief of Police Paul J. Doucette and Lieutenant Camillo Grande. Several community members also generously provide funding for MedSafe's ongoing expenses.