McKean County, PAUnwanted Medication Collection

ProgramBradford Regional Medical Center

Bradford, PA, McKean CountySaturday, May 16, 2009, 8 to Noon

The Beginning!Allegheny, Susquehanna and Genessee Rivers

Partners and Resources

• PA CleanWays – 2 million dollar insurance, volunteers, DEP Household Hazardous Grant Administration

• Penn State Extension – Leadership, advertising, and organization.

• McKean Conservation District – Leadership, volunteers, and Water Resources Education Network Grant (WREN) Administration.

Partners and Resources

• Bradford Regional Medical Center – Site and PharmacistEnvironmental Enterprises Incorporated, Cincinnati, Ohio – Non – controlled substances

• McKean County Sherriff and Deputy – Security and Controlled Substances

• Hamot Medical Center, Erie, PA - Incinerator

Partners and Resources

• McKean County Commissioners – Political and Financial Support

• PA DEP – Household Hazardous Grant – 50% of Costs

• League of Women Voters – WREN Grant – $5000.00– Unwanted Medication Collection Event– Educational PowerPoint– Personal Care Home Survey

Unwanted Medication Collection Program

• Saturday, May 16, 2009• Bradford Regional Medical Center Parking Lot• 8AM to Noon

Educational PowerPoint

OBJECTIVESExplain the IssueShare USGS and Dr Volz Research InformationTour of Wastewater Treatment PlantSend NO Flushing MessageAdvertise the Unwanted Medication Collection

Event

Research Data

• Fish Study – June 14, 2008• Dr. Conrad Volz, University of Pittsburgh,

Control Study on Upper Allegheny River

You Wouldn’t Do This!

So Don’t Do This!

Placemat – 12,000 Distributed

Survey Results

• Cameron, McKean, and Potter County Personal Care Homes

• 5 Facilities Surveyed• Total Beds = 459 • Average = 91.8 Beds• % Beds Occupied – 93% Average

Medication Disposal Needs

• Increasing – 2 (40%)• Decreasing – 0• Same – 3 (60%)

Type of Pharmacy Used

• Mail – Order Pharmacy – 1• Long Term Care Pharmacy – 4• Veterans Pharmacy – 1• Pharmacy Management Group - 1

Reasons for Unwanted Medications

• Patient leaves or dies – 3• Allergic or adverse reaction – 1• Medication Expired – 2• Medication No longer required – 5• Patient refused treatment – 3• Excess dosage – 1• Medication dropped or spilled - 4

Reasons Why They Flush

• Does not flush – 1• Medicare Policy – 1

Medicaid Policy – 1• Drug Enforcement Agency policy – 1• Facility Guidelines – 2• Other (Disposed of in Sharps Container) - 1

If flushed- Water Destination

• Wastewater sent to Sewage Treatment Plant - 4

How Often Do You Dispose

• As necessary – 2• Once/week – 1• Once/month - 1

Who Should Create Alternative to Flushing

• State Government – 1• Federal Government – 3• Pharmaceutical Companies – 1

Pharmaceutical Movement

A. 0-4-2-0B. 0-4-1-0C. 0-3-2-0D. 1-4-0-0E. 0-3-0-0F. 2-4-0-0

Who Is Flushing

• We found that 3 facilities are flushing 100% of their controlled substances.

• One Facility Manager Suggestion:– “Have a bolted down safe that can receive

controlled substances and then Pharmacy Representative visits and opens and empties periodically. “

Thank You• Jim Clark, Extension Educator

Penn State Coop Extension of McKeanjac20@psu.edu

814-887-5613

Heather McKean, Watershed SpecialistMcKean County Conservation District

hsmckean@mckeancountypa.org814-887-4003