Twenty-seven CVS Pharmacy locations in Contra Costa County now have drop boxes where residents can safely dispose of unwanted prescription medicines, Contra Costa Health Services announced today.
In addition, 10 Kaiser facilities in the county also have the new drop boxes.
One of the drop boxes is located at the CVS at 2151 Meeker Ave. in Richmond, as well as the Pinole store at 1401 Tara Hills Drive and the El Cerrito store at 10650 San Pablo Ave. The Kaiser Richmond Hospital pharmacy at 901 Nevin Ave. also has one, along with the Kaiser facility at 1301 Pinole Valley Road in Pinole.
The drop boxes are the result of the county’s 2016 Safe Drug Disposal Ordinance, which requires pharmaceutical drug manufacturers to provide collection services for unused drugs.
The ordinance aims to “protect the environment and prevent accidental poisonings or intentional misuse of drugs such as prescription opioids,” officials said in a statement.
The drop-box service is free, secure and confidential. Medications are accepted in original containers or in sealed bags and will be safely destroyed, officials said.
“Safe storage and disposal of medications is one of the easiest and most important ways that each of us can help turn our county’s opioid abuse epidemic around,” said April Rovero, founder of the National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse and Chair of the Contra Costa County MEDS Coalition.
Tom Davis, an executive with CVS Pharmacy, said his company is committed to “helping prevent and address prescription opioid abuse and misuse.”
To find a searchable database of Contra Costa drop box locations, and for more information, click here.
