Companies news
TerryWhite Chemmart and Sanofi partner with The Return of Unwanted Medicines (RUM) Project to Promote Safe Responsible Medication Disposal
TerryWhite Chemmart joins Sanofi, one of Australia’s largest medicines and vaccines suppliers, to raise awareness of the RUM program nationally.
Known as The RUM Project (Return of Unwanted Medicines), the initiative launched by Sanofi and supported by TerryWhite Chemmart, has already disposed of 12.5 million kilograms of medicinal waste over the past 22 years and aims to reduce the impact of unwanted or out-of-date medicines on the environment through safe and responsible disposal.
In a joint interview Nick Munroe, Executive General Manager of TerryWhite Chemmart, Karen Hood, Country Lead at Sanofi Australia and Toni Riley, Pharmacist and Program Director of Return Unwanted Medicines, commented on the news.
Nick Munroe, Executive General Manager of TerryWhite Chemmart, said:
"Together with our partners at Sanofi, this campaign is about reminding customers all Australians to dispose of their unwanted medications safely by visiting their local TerryWhite Chemmart pharmacy.”
To raise awareness of the health hazard of keeping unused and expired medicine at home, he added:
“Storage of expired and unwanted medicines in the home can be dangerous, and unsafe disposal of unwanted medicines can lead to environmental harm. These are risks we don’t want our communities to be worried about when disposing of these medicines is as easy as visiting your local TerryWhite Chemmart pharmacy for free, safe disposal."
Hopeful on the feasibility of this campaign, he continued:
"With over 550 TerryWhite Chemmart pharmacies and the team at Sanofi working together, we can deliver healthier environments for all Australians, no matter where we work or live."
Karen Hood, Country Lead of Sanofi Australia, which has been a partner of Return Unwanted Medicines since 2021, shares her take on the topic:
“We partnered with Return Unwanted Medicines because we understand the importance of ensuring unwanted or out-of-date medicines are handled sustainability and do not become an unnecessary risk to Australia’s environment and waterways.
Aware of the challenge this initiative raises, she added:
“We know that people want to the do the right thing by the planet and that includes disposing of their medicines correctly. They just don't know how. This partnership is another example of our accelerated efforts to address climate change and minimise the environmental impact of our business and products.”
Toni Riley, Pharmacist and Program Director of Return Unwanted Medicines, adresses the informative aspect of such partnership:
“This is a first for Return Unwanted Medicines. This partnership means we have the chance to reach and inform people at each stage of a medicines’ lifecycle. Our free and convenient service is available to everyone, and I am optimistic that this campaign will help even more people to take action.”
Proud of their initiative, both companies encourage Australians to dispose of their unwanted medications safely by visiting their local pharmacy.
This initiative is also a good opportunity to remember that together, we can make a difference on the environment.
