Unused and expired prescription and over-the-counter medications will be collected for environmentally safe disposal at the Brighton Center for Specialty Care’s medication disposal event on Oct. 1.

The event will be held at 7500 Challis Road in the grassy area to the right of Entrance 1. A second collection site will be on the U-M’s central campus in Ann Arbor at Ingalls Mall North on Washington Street across from Rackham Auditorium.

“We’re really looking forward to expanding our medication and sharps collection efforts into the Brighton area,” says Jillian Hayes, communication manager of U-M’s College of Pharmacy. “Our on-campus events have been well received by the community, who have expressed how difficult safe disposal can be.”

U-M students have collected approximately 4,700 pounds of medications and sharps, keeping potentially harmful substances out of the water supply, landfills, and the wrong hands.

“As we become more aware of the role unused medication in our homes can play in the opioid crisis and other forms of medication misuse, these drive-up, drop-off disposal events provide a much needed community service,” Hayes says.

Other accepted items include vitamins, ointments and lotions, antibiotics, steroids, veterinary medicine and sharps containers.  

Unaccepted items include sunscreen, insect repellant, cosmetics, hair care or personal hygiene products, hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol, aerosol cans, blood or infectious waste and tobacco.

For alternative disposal locations, visit https://pharmacy.umich.edu/events/safemed.