Ritzman Pharmacies now offers residents a safe and convenient way to dispose of unused prescription medications with the installation of a MedSafe prescription drug unit at the Buehler’s Fresh Foods’ Delaware pharmacy.
In partnership with Buehler’s and Drug-Free Delaware Coalition, Ritzman hopes to contribute to reduced prescription drug misuse and abuse for a safer community, according to company officials.
“For a variety of reasons, many people don’t want old prescription medications lying around their houses,” said Jerry Ritzman, vice president of customer experience, of the family-owned Ritzman Pharmacies. “We’ve had customers ask for ways to properly dispose of their old medications, and we’re now happy to be able to provide this service to them. We feel that it’s important for citizens to have a safe, convenient and environmentally sound way to dispose of those medications.”
The Delaware Ritzman location is one of the first Ohio pharmacies to install a MedSafe disposal unit as a result of a consortium of funders, including Drug-Free Delaware Coalition, the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Delaware police and the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office. Until recently, Ohio law prevented unused medication disposal boxes to be installed in public locations except for law enforcement facilities.
Ritzman Pharmacies worked closely with Drug-Free Delaware Coalition to obtain the MedSafe disposal unit as part of the community organization’s drug diversion efforts, and with Buehler’s Fresh Foods as its partner.
“As a hometown pharmacy and grocery store, Ritzman and Buehler’s work hand in hand and are both very community oriented,” said George Wisener, store manager at Buehler’s. “Together, we’re helping our customers get drugs that they’re not using out of their homes and to a safe place. MedSafe is absolutely a great program for the community and for the Buehler’s and Ritzman relationship.”
Ritzman Pharmacies has met all the qualifications necessary to be an authorized collector of unused, unwanted or expired pharmaceuticals. The MedSafe unit meets all requirements under the DEA Controlled Substances Act, and its availability can help contribute toward reduced abuse and misuse of prescription medications, company officials said.
Proper disposal also ensures that these medications do not enter the water supply via incorrect disposal such as toilet flushing.
“Our mission has always been to provide comfort, security and care beyond our customers’ expectations,” Ritzman said. “We want to be ingrained in the communities we serve. We want to be good community citizens. This MedSafe unit is one way we can do that.”
For more information, visit medsafe.com or ritzmanrx.com.
