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Published on July 17, 2023

Dispose of medications properly at new, secure kiosks at Tidelands Health hospitals

Community members now have another safe, convenient way to properly dispose of expired or unused medications.

The white MedDrop medication disposal kiosk sits near the main entrance at Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital.New, secure kiosks for medication disposal are available at Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital, 606 Black River Road, and Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital, 4070 U.S. 17 in Murrells Inlet. Simply drop off expired and unused medications in the MedDrop collection containers near the hospital entrances for proper disposal by Stericycle, a medical waste management company.

After medications expire or are no longer needed, it’s important to dispose of them responsibly to eliminate the risk of abuse by others. Too often, drug misuse starts with medications prescribed for others obtained from family and friends – even from the home’s medicine cabinet.

“Medications are prescribed when needed to treat illnesses or maintain good health, but we don’t want them being used by anyone other than the prescribed patient,” said David Foxworth, pharmacy manager at Tidelands Health. “Providing secure and convenient drop-off points for responsible medication disposal helps make sure medications don’t fall into the wrong hands and end up being abused.”

Proper disposal also helps protect the environment by mitigating the contamination of waterways and drinking water systems as a result of medications being flushed or poured down the drain.

After experiencing tremendous demand for safe medication disposal at special take-back events with local law enforcement agencies, Tidelands Health installed the kiosks to provide another convenient, secure way for community members to responsibly dispose of unused and expired medications any day of the year.

Community members can drop off prescription and over-the-counter medications for free using the MedDrop kiosks at Tidelands Waccamaw and Tidelands Georgetown. All medications should be contained in a sealed bottle or jar, especially liquids, creams and ointments. Remove or obscure any personally identifiable information. For safety reasons, the kiosks cannot accommodate medications with any needles, sharps, aerosols or batteries.

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Tidelands Health, in collaboration with MUSC Health, is the region’s largest health care provider, serving the Carolinas at four hospitals and more than 70 outpatient locations. More than 2,500 employee, physician and volunteer partners work side by side with our communities to transform the health of our region – promoting wellness, preventing illness, encouraging recovery and restoring health.