AGH REDISCRIPTS PHARMACY INSTALLS MEDSAFE DRUG DISPOSAL RECEPTACLE

Berlin, Md. – Thanks to a gracious donation from the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department, championed by LT. N. J. Passwaters, SGT. Matt Crisafulli and Sheriff Reggie Mason, Atlantic General Hospital and AGHRx RediScripts Pharmacy are pleased to announce the installation of a Medsafe Drug disposal receptacle.

In the state of Maryland only one public controlled substance disposal location for medications is available for every 32 pharmacies. Yet in 2017, there were over 66 million prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies with over 26 million of these prescriptions left unfinished.

The need for expanded drug disposal solutions is overwhelming and contributes to stockpiles of unused and unwanted medications in home medicine cabinets as well as improper disposal of prescription medications. These leftover prescription drugs in the home can be a ticking time bomb. When left accessible to the wrong hands, they can lead to temptations that can have dire consequences.

Since the beginning of June 2018, the Medsafe Drug Disposal receptacle has been in place in AGH and available to our community members to drop off their unused and unwanted mediations 24 hours a day, 365 days per year for safe disposal and destruction through the process preferred by the DEA, FDA, and the EPA. While the vast majority of commonly prescribed medications can be disposed of through the Medsafe Drug disposal receptacle, certain restrictions. Items unacceptable for disposal include aerosol sprays, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, needles, syringes or sharps containers, more than four ounces of liquid, trash, mercury thermometers, batteries, chemicals, or durable medical equipment supplies.

For more information about safe drug disposal options or to inquire about how Atlantic General Hospital and AGHRx RediScripts Pharmacy can help more effectively access and manage the medications needed to stay healthy, please contact a member of the AGHRx RediScripts Pharmacy staff on the main campus of Atlantic General Hospital at 410-641-9240 or by email at Rediscripts@atlanticgeneral.org.

The Medsafe Drug disposal receptacle is located in the main lobby of Atlantic General Hospital near the reception desk.

Caption: From left: Jeff Kukel, Pharm D, AGH RediScripts Manager with Sheriff Reggie Mason and SGT. Matt Crisafulli of the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office.

About Atlantic General Hospital

Atlantic General Hospital has been providing quality health care to the residents of Worcester, Wicomico, Somerset (Md.) and Sussex (Del.) counties since May 1993. Built by the commitment and generosity of a dedicated community, the hospital’s state-of-the-art facility in Berlin, Md., combines old-fashioned personal attention with the latest in technology and services. It provides quality specialty care such as weight loss surgery, orthopedics, outpatient infusion for individuals with cancer or blood/autoimmune disorders, retina surgery and a comprehensive women’s diagnostic center. Atlantic General Health System, its network of more than 40 primary care providers and specialists, care for residents and visitors throughout the region. For more information about Atlantic General Hospital, visit www.atlanticgeneral.org.

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