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Published on December 31, 2024

Community drop-off containers at Tidelands Health collect hundreds of pounds of medications in 2024 for proper disposal 

A free program at Tidelands Health to help community members properly dispose of unused and expired medications brought in nearly 900 pounds of pills and other drugs during its first full year. 

A MedDrop medication disposal container is available for community members to drop off unused or unwanted medications at Tidelands Health hospitals.In 2024, community members dropped off hundreds of bottles of medications they no longer needed in the secure MedDrop collection containers conveniently located near the main entrances of Tidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital and Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital in Murrells Inlet.  

The medications collected are sent to Stericycle, a medical waste management company, for proper disposal. This keeps the medications – including narcotics – away from those who may abuse them. It also helps protect the environment by mitigating the contamination of waterways as a result of medications being flushed or poured down a drain. 

“Many of our community members have wanted to properly dispose of medications but didn’t know where to take them,” said David Foxworth, pharmacy manager at Tidelands Health. “We’ve had people show up at the pharmacy with a bag of old medications asking, ‘What do we do with these?’  Now, there’s a convenient place that’s available year-round. It’s definitely been helpful.” 

Tidelands Health installed the MedDrop collection containers in mid-2023 after seeing demand during community medication take-back events, coupled with requests from community members. 

Even seeing glimpses of the need, Foxworth – who empties the collection containers - has been surprised at the volume being collected. Some community members drop off just a few bottles, while others bring in bags of bottles after cleaning out their medicine cabinets or wanting to get rid of medications after a loved one passes away. 

“Anything you could imagine I’ve seen in there. It comes in all shapes and forms,” Foxworth said. “The free collection containers have gotten a lot of unneeded medication out of people’s cabinets.” 

Community members can drop off prescription and over-the-counter medications for free using the MedDrop containers at Tidelands Waccamaw and Tidelands Georgetown.  

All medications should be contained and sealed, especially liquids, creams and ointments. Remove or obscure any personally identifiable information. For safety reasons, the kiosks cannot accommodate medications with needles, sharps, aerosols or batteries. 

“We commend our community members for taking advantage of this opportunity to responsibly dispose of their old or unwanted pills,” Foxworth said. “Our Tidelands Health team is proud to offer this service and partner with residents to keep our community healthy.” 

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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.