[Pharmwaste] Rite Aid now partnered with Sharp's ComplianceCorporation to sell drug mail back envelopes

Wed Mar 16 10:08:54 EDT 2011

After reading a number of continued posts regarding the Sharps Compliance TakeAway(tm) envelopes being provided by a variety of healthcare professionals and transported by USPS, I thought it might be helpful to respond. Sharps Compliance has worked with USPS since 1994 regarding mailing of sharps and other regulated medical waste. USPS and Sharps Compliance developed the initial envelope system and released it with great success. USPS and Sharps Compliance elected to improve envelop securities, not as a result of any failure, but as a part of constant product improvement. That is why revised packaging measures where applied. Neither Sharps Compliance nor any of the pharmacies providing systems were ever asked to recall any envelopes. The envelopes were already approved as safe - USPS simply wanted to make the envelop even better. The new USPS-approved envelopes where re-launched in January 2011 to continue to provide an inexpensive, convenient source reduction method to keep unused meds and OTCs out of our water and landfills.  It has been painful to see so much misinformation and speculation surrounding this program. If you have any additional questions regarding this option for patient med disposal, please feel free to contact Sharps Compliance directly.

Jan Harris | Director, Environmental Health & Safety

Sharps Compliance, Inc.
| m-713-927-9956

jharris at sharpsinc.com<mailto:jharris at sharpsinc.com> | http://www.sharpsinc.com

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us [mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Lucy, Burke
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 12:41 PM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] Rite Aid now partnered with Sharp's ComplianceCorporation to sell drug mail back envelopes

I'm wary of speaking for any particular company especially when I see no public notice but our regional Sharps Compliance sales person e-mailed me on Oct. 29, 2010 saying sales were temporarily halted pending USPS evaluation and again on January 7th to say the USPS gave them the okay to sell the TakeAway mailers again.  This is interesting - now we have Walgreens selling the mailers for $2.99, Rite Aid for $3.99, and in California at least 200 Kaiser hospitals selling them for $4.95.

Burke Lucy
916.341.6592

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us [mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of DeBiasi, Deborah (DEQ)
Sent: Tuesday, March 15, 2011 10:22 AM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: [Pharmwaste] Rite Aid now partnered with Sharp's Compliance Corporation to sell drug mail back envelopes

Last October-November, we had some discussion about Walgreens selling the drug mail back envelopes from Sharps Compliance, and someone mentioned that there was a "cease and desist" order on them.  I never did see a source for that comment.  Does anyone know if there was a "cease and desist" order on either Walgreens for selling the envelopes, or Sharps for offering the service?  If there was, what did it affect, and is it still in effect?

*********

Rite Aid News

Rite Aid Encourages Customers To Dispose of Medication Safely With New Medication Disposal Program

Special Envelopes Offer a Safe and Easy Way to Dispose of Prescription and OTC Medications

Camp Hill, PA (March 14, 2011) - To help its customers safely dispose of unused, outdated or unwanted medications, Rite Aid pharmacies now have specially-designed disposal envelopes available for purchase. Customers can place unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications in the envelope. Once sealed and placed in any U.S. Postal Service mailbox, the envelope is sent to an approved medication incinerator, where a licensed law enforcement official oversees the safe and environmentally-friendly disposal process. Postage is included in the cost of the envelope, which is $3.99.

Rite Aid is working with Sharps Compliance Corporation, a leading full-service provider of cost-effective solutions for disposing of medical waste and unused medications, to provide the envelopes.

The envelopes are available at all Rite Aid pharmacies except in Maine, where another type of disposal program is available.

"For years, Rite Aid has participated in community medication take-back events organized by local health officials and law enforcement agencies," said Dan Miller, Rite Aid Senior Vice President of Pharmacy. "Our customers often ask how to dispose of medication. By making these envelopes available in our stores, we're offering an easy and safe disposal solution for customers looking to safely dispose of expired, unused or unwanted medications."

Controlled medications are excluded from this program due to current federal regulations.

Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD) is one of the nation's leading drugstore chains with more than 4,700 stores in 31 states and the District of Columbia and fiscal 2010 annual revenues of $25.7 billion. Information about Rite Aid, including corporate background and press releases, is available through the company's website at www.riteaid.com<http://www.riteaid.com>.

# # #

Contact:

Media:Ashley Flower 717-975-5718

Deborah L. DeBiasi
Email:   Deborah.DeBiasi at deq.virginia.gov (NEW!)
WEB site address:  www.deq.virginia.gov
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Office of Water Permit and Compliance Assistance Programs
Industrial Pretreatment/Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Program
PPCPs, EDCs, and Microconstituents
www.deq.virginia.gov/vpdes/microconstituents.html
Mail:          P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA  23218
Location:  629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA  23219
PH:         804-698-4028
FAX:      804-698-4032

[COLLECT/PROTECT/RESPECT]
Sharps Compliance prevented the improper disposal of 600 million syringes from the solid waste stream and 90,000 pounds of unused patient medications from potentially harming our citizens and the environment.

PRIVACY NOTICE: This information is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential or exempt from disclosure under applicable federal or state law. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.dep.state.fl.us/pipermail/pharmwaste/attachments/20110316/36b6dcd8/attachment.htm