Heart Health
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Household Medication And Sharps Takeback Program
Take Meds Back helps Coloradans safely dispose of unused and expired prescription and over-the-counter medications. Safe disposal keeps meds like opioids, sedatives, and stimulants from being misused or abused. It also helps protect Colorado’s precious environment and wildlife. The best way to get rid of household medications is to take them to the nearest secure collection box. Communities, pharmacies, and government and law enforcement agencies are working together to install secure drop boxes across Colorado.
Grand River Health has a secure dropbox in the waiting area of our second floor clinic. It is accessible weekdays from 8am – 5pm, Monday – Friday. If you need to drop medications off any other time you can leave them with the Emergency Room registration desk and they will disposed of properly.
Why Safe Disposal Matters
Getting rid of old or unused meds using a safe disposal box or a take back event is the best way to ensure they won’t be misused or stolen. Colorado has a program with more than 100 secure take back boxes at pharmacies and law enforcement agencies. Meds collected this way are securely disposed of, usually by incineration.
Map of Takeback Locations in Colorado
Use this interactive map to find takeback locations that participate in the state program. Walgreens, some other pharmacies and some law enforcement agencies collecting on their own, while not part of this program, have been included for completeness. We recommend calling these locations to verify hours and items acceptable for disposal.
Acceptable Items:
- Prescription medications, including prescribed controlled substances (DEA Schedule II– V).
- Over-the-counter medications.
- Liquid medications (small amounts in original, non-leaking containers).
- Medicated patches (Used Fentanyl and Duragesic® patches are extremely hazardous. They may be folded in half, sticky-side together, and flushed down the toilet.)
- Medication samples.
- Medicated ointments.
- Vitamins.
- Pet medications.
- Unused drug injection cartridges, e.g. unused EpiPens® and insulin pens (must be unused with needle still protected inside).
- Unused inhaler canisters, e.g. Advair®, Spiriva®, ProAir® and Ventolin® (must be unused, no empty canisters or unneeded plastic holders/mouth pieces).
Cannot be Accepted:
- Marijuana.
- Illicit drugs (e.g. DEA Schedule I drugs like heroin, LSD, etc).
- Needles, syringes, and other sharps.
- Chemotherapy drugs.
- Medical tools and supplies.
- Bloody or infectious waste.
- Personal care products.
- Thermometers.
- Empty containers.
- Medication wastes generated by health care facilities, including nursing homes.
Dispose of your collected sharps and receive a one quart container for future collection. Drop off your used sharps at either our Rifle or Battlement Mesa campus. In Rifle the sharps collection dropbox is located inside the entry to the Anvil Point entrance (south door). At Clinic West in Battlement Mesa you can find the dropbox in the upstairs entrance to the Clinic.
