CVMC Expands Community Safety Efforts with 24/7 Drug Take-Back Kiosk

Canyon Vista Medical Center (CVMC) is proud to announce the installation of a new, secure drug take-back kiosk, now available to the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Conveniently located in the hospital’s emergency room (ER) waiting area, the kiosk provides a safe and accessible way for individuals to dispose of unused, expired, or unwanted medications.

The kiosk is fully secure, ADA-accessible, and compliant with Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulations. This self-service unit allows community members to simply drop off medications—no questions asked—helping reduce the risk of misuse while protecting the environment from improper disposal.

“Providing resources like this is one more way we are living out our mission of making communities healthier,” said Scott Avery, chief executive officer of Canyon Vista Medical Center. “Something as simple as safely discarding unused medications can have a meaningful impact on preventing harm and saving lives.”

According to national data, a person dies from a drug overdose every five minutes. Additionally, nearly half of misused prescription pain relievers are obtained from friends or family members—often from medications left unsecured in the home. The new kiosk offers a proactive, local solution to help reduce these risks.

The initiative was inspired by Avery’s firsthand experience with similar programs in other communities.

“In a previous hospital, I saw how much the community valued having a safe, easy option for medication disposal,” Mr. Avery said. “It’s a simple step that can make a real difference, and I’m proud we’re bringing that resource to our community.”

In addition to preventing medication misuse, the kiosk supports environmental stewardship by ensuring medications are disposed of properly rather than flushed or thrown away, where they can contaminate water systems.

The kiosk accepts most prescription and over-the-counter medications in any dosage form. Community members are encouraged to remove or black out personal information on prescription labels before disposal. For safety reasons, items such as sharps, batteries, supplements, and illicit substances are not accepted. Additional signage outlining acceptable and non-acceptable items will be clearly posted at the kiosk.

With 24/7 access in the ER waiting area, the kiosk offers a convenient, year-round option for safe medication disposal—no appointment needed.