Benzer Pharmacy Launches At-Home Medication Disposal Program with Help of DisposeRx

Pharmacists at Benzer Pharmacy will begin to offer DisposeRx packets during comprehensive in-person consultations to patients with unused and expired medications at home.

Launched in January 2018, DisposeRx packets are comprised of materials that are FDA-approved for oral medications, providing a safe, effective solution for the disposal of unused or expired medications. The active ingredient in the medication is chemically and physically sequestered in a polymer gel when water and the DisposeRx powder are added to a prescription vial and shaken. Patients can use the patented product with pills, tablets, capsules, liquids, and powders, and can then throw away the vial in the household trash.

William Simpson, president of DisposeRx, emphasized the importance of medication disposal as it has been frequently overlooked over the past several years.

"The truth is that disposal has been an afterthought,” Simpson said in an email to Pharmacy Times®. “We have been much more concerned about medication adherence and other issues. However, the opioid public health crisis has drawn attention to the risks of leftover medications, and we are committed to addressing this issue through education to encourage behavior change.”

As a part of DisposeRx's patient safety and opioid stewardship efforts, the company has introduced a safe medication management infographic to encourage providers and pharmacists to have important disposal conversations with their patients.

Tonya Shackelford, RPh, president of Benzer Pharmacy, has a passion for patient safety and predicts that safe disposal options for medications will become mandatory in all health care facilities in the future.

“Basically, what we are doing is including it with the consultation with each opioid prescription,” Shackelford said in an email to Pharmacy Times®. “Not only does this give us an opening for explaining the dangers but gives the patient an easy option for safe disposal. We are also including this option as part of all of our comprehensive medication reviews when we discuss unused or expired medications.”

REFERENCE

Benzer Pharmacy launches at-home medication disposal program, offering customers education and DisposeRx packets [news release]. Tampa, FL and Sanford, NC [email]. Published February 12, 2020. Accessed February 19, 2020.

As a pharmacist, your insight has a direct effect on patient outcomes. Help drive medicine forward with your opinions. Participate in a quick survey of OTC products for a chance to win a $1,000 Visa gift card. Vote now by clicking here: https://hraresearchnetwork.com/wix/p6499706.aspx?hPTsource=5