JACKSONVILLE, Fla. and HOUSTON, April 11, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. (Nasdaq:WINN) is offering specially-designed medication disposal envelopes at its pharmacies to help its customers safely dispose of unused, outdated or unwanted medications. The specially-designed TakeAway Environmental Return System™ envelopes, made by Sharps Compliance Corp. (Nasdaq:SMED), offer a convenient, safe and environmentally-responsible method to dispose of unused, expired or unwanted non-controlled prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medications. The TakeAway envelope solutions are available for $2.99 in all of Winn-Dixie's 379 in-store pharmacies in Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.
"Winn-Dixie is making it easy for our customers to dispose of unwanted medications, preventing potential misuse of these medications and also preventing contamination of our lakes and rivers, many of which serve as community water supplies," said John Fegan, Winn-Dixie's Vice President of Pharmacy.
Customers can place unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications, excluding controlled drugs, in the envelope, seal it and then drop it in the mail. The postage-paid envelope is sent to an approved treatment facility, where licensed law enforcement oversees the safe and environmentally-responsible disposal process.
David P. Tusa, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sharps Compliance, commented, "Our cost-effective and convenient solutions are ideal for addressing the estimated more than 200 million pounds of unused dispensed medications each year which are disposed of improperly. As a result, progressive retailers such as Winn-Dixie, help to resolve the problem of these unused medications adversely affecting our water systems and placing our citizens at risk for accidental and improper dosing. We are pleased to be working with Winn-Dixie to help fulfill their initiatives for a cleaner and safer environment and we look forward to the success of the program."
The medication disposal envelopes are a part of Sharp's TakeAway Environmental Return System™ solution and are designed to be provided by healthcare professionals affiliated with retail or mail-order pharmacies, alternate care facilities and community programs. The TakeAway Environmental Return System™ facilitates the proper disposal of unused prescription and OTC medications, excluding controlled substances and consists of a variety of systems (including special-use envelopes as well as the 10 and 20-gallon return systems). All systems include return packaging with pre-paid shipping to the Company's treatment facility, where the systems are received by licensed law enforcement for appropriate tracking, reporting, and assured witnessed destruction.
Controlled medications are excluded from this program because of current federal regulations.
About Winn-Dixie
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. is one of the nation's largest food retailers. Founded in 1925, the Company is headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. The Company currently operates 484 retail grocery locations, including 379 in-store pharmacies, in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and Mississippi. For more information, please visit .
About Sharps Compliance Corp.
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Sharps is a leading full-service provider of cost-effective management solutions for medical waste and unused dispensed medications generated outside the hospital and large healthcare facility setting. Its strategy is to capture a large part of the estimated $2.8 billion untapped market for unused medications, used syringes and medical waste generated outside of hospital and large healthcare settings by targeting the major agencies that are interrelated with this medical waste stream; that is the U.S. government, pharmaceutical manufacturers, home healthcare providers, retail pharmacies and clinics, and the professional market comprised of physicians, dentists and veterinary practices. More information on the Company and its products can be found on its website at:
Safe Harbor Statement
The information made available in this press release contains certain forward-looking statements which reflect Sharps Compliance Corp.'s current view of future events and financial performance. Wherever used, the words "estimate", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "may" and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Any such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties and the company's future results of operations could differ materially from historical results or current expectations. Some of these risks include, without limitation, the company's ability to educate its customers, development of public awareness programs to educate the identified consumer, customer preferences, the Company's ability to scale the business and manage its growth, the degree of success the Company has at gaining more large customer contracts, managing regulatory compliance and/or other factors that may be described in the company's annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and/or other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Future economic and industry trends that could potentially impact revenues and profitability are difficult to predict. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements even if experience or future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed or implied therein will not be realized.
CONTACT: Winn-Dixie Contacts: Hunter Robinson Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. Phone: (904) 783-5153 Email: HunterRobinson@winn-dixie.com W. Patrick McSweeney, APR St. John & Partners PR Senior Account Manager Phone: (904) 596-2085 Email: patrickmcsweeney@sjp.com Sharps Compliance Contacts: Diana P. Diaz Sharps Compliance Corp. Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Phone: (713) 660-3547 Email: ddiaz@sharpsinc.com Deborah Pawlowski Kei Advisors LLC Investor Relations Phone: (716) 843-3908 Email: dpawlowski@keiadvisors.com
