CVS has announced that all 7,200 of its locations now offer the Sharps Compliance Corp.'s Environmental Return System, which provides customers with the ability to safely dispose of unused medication.
Under the system, unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medication is placed in a prepaid envelope, which is then mailed through the U.S. Postal Service to a licensed, secure facility for safe destruction. The envelopes cost $3.99.
An estimated 200 million pounds of unwanted medication are improperly disposed of every year, CVS says.
"Leftover and unused pharmaceuticals are a hazard for abuse and misuse particularly by young people," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) said. "I applaud CVS and their partners for providing consumers with an easy avenue to safely dispose of unwanted medications."
