Pharmaca: A Leader in Greener Pharmacy Practices

The Teleosis Institute is proud to recognize Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy in Berkeley, California for becoming the first take-back site in the Teleosis Institute’s Green Pharmacy Program. The program offers environmentally safe medicine disposal for communities. Sal Nassar, lead pharmacist at Pharmaca, says, “Our customers are surprised to learn about the harmful impacts of pharmaceuticals in the environment and the lack of safe disposal options in the current medical system. The Green Pharmacy Program has brought Pharmaca more customers than our advertising!”

Green Pharmacy offers much more than an increase in business; the program helps Pharmaca to “walk the walk” as a sustainable business. Through an integration of traditional, alternative and complimentary healing methods, Pharmaca aims to support its customer’s health and promotes healing of the body, mind, and spirit. Pharmaca employees embody these same values and believe in the importance of promoting personal wellness. To them, Green Pharmacy is another form of empowerment, allowing the pharmacy and consumers to take responsibility for their actions.

In this bustling community-based pharmacy, where days are spent supporting customer’s health needs and questions, filling and compounding prescriptions, and answering phone calls, time seems to be the missing variable. Still, the pharmacists strive to explain the importance of Green Pharmacy and safe medicine disposal . The staff regularly takes time to walk them through the Medicine Return Form, which collects important data on unused drugs.

Pharmaca diverts 25 pounds of pharmaceutical waste every three weeks and shows no signs of slowing down (controlled substances are not accepted at any take-back site). Word travels quickly as bags of unwanted medications are disposed of by both existing and potentially new customers, wishing to dispose of their medications or those of family members who have passed on. Often returned medications have accumulated over years and are dispensed by many different pharmacies. These customers are eager to dispose of these medications safely. Local physicians, too, are bringing in expired samples since pharmaceutical companies don’t appear to be picking them up. Many customers are “highly appreciative of this Program and the opportunity to participate in safe disposal,” says Maria Notas, a pharmacy technician. Moreover, they are thankful that Pharmaca has joined Teleosis in leading the Green Health Care movement.

Pharmacist Nabeel Fawell explains, “The Green Pharmacy Program is another good example of how we support the health of our community and environment.”

Click here to learn about the Green Pharmacy Program and find a medicine take-back site

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Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy
1744 Solano Avenue
Berkeley, CA
510-526-2452
Specialty: Integrative