Marsh Collects Record Number of Unwanted Meds

Marsh Supermarkets and its 40 pharmacies in Indiana collected 37,026 vials of unwanted medicines during the Marsh “Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet” event in mid-March – the largest single-event collection and a tenfold increase in the amount collected since the retailer began offering the free community service in 2008.

Over the past four years, Marsh pharmacies have helped more than 9,700 Hoosiers safely dispose of nearly 141,000 vials of expired or unneeded prescription and over-the-counter medicines during the event, which is held each spring and fall. The most recent collection in March drew the highest number of participants to date, with more than 2,400 people dropping off unwanted medicines at a Marsh or MainStreet Market pharmacy.

“The huge success of our spring collection demonstrates that the families and communities we serve are increasingly aware of the risks and dangers of keeping expired or unneeded medicines in their homes, as well as the potential harm that flushing these medicines can have on our environment,” said Joe Kelley, Marsh chairman, CEO and president. “Through our ‘Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet’ events, we hope to prevent accidental poisonings and potential medication theft and abuse by offering Indiana families a safe and convenient way to dispose of their unused medicines.”

Marsh partnered with several state, local and private agencies to sponsor its spring event. The next such event is scheduled for late September. The public will be able to dispose of medications, and well as unwanted vitamins and nutritional supplements, veterinary medications, and sharps or needles. Marsh also will join forces with the Indiana Board of Pharmacy and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office to host a drop-off site at its Marsh pharmacy in Noblesville, Ind., as part of the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in April.

Indianapolis-based Marsh Supermarkets operates 70 Marsh stores, including three O’Malia’s Supermarkets and 26 MainStreet Markets in Indiana and Ohio, with 40 Indiana pharmacy locations.