1. Don’t Mess with Texas! Dispose of Medications Properly
Presenter: ENACTUS Team Wayland Baptist University
Education Chair: Nelda VanHoose
Texas Extension Education Association

2. Outline of Today’s Presentation
Impact of improper medication disposal on the environment
Personal actions to ensure proper medication disposal
Raising awareness for a “Take Back” event in your community
Wayland Baptist University’s Enactus Team “Take Back”

3. Medications are Important
Medicines play an important role in treating many conditions and diseases
When no longer needed, it’s important to dispose of them properly to avoid harm to others and the environment

4. “The improper disposal of unused medications by flushing them or pouring them down the drain may be harmful to fish, wildlife and their habitats.”
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

5. It’s All Connected!
In homes that use septic tanks, prescription and over-the-counter drugs flushed down the toilet can leach into the ground and seep into ground water.
In cities and towns where residences are connected to wastewater treatment plants, prescription and over-the-counter drugs poured down the sink or flushed down the toilet can pass through the treatment system and enter rivers and lakes. They may flow downstream to serve as sources for community drinking water supplies. Water treatment plants are generally not equipped to routinely remove medicines.
The moral of the story: It’s All Connected!
Image Credit:

6. Community Take Back Events
An established time and place with authorized representatives to take back and dispose of unused drugs
See if such an event already exists in your community
Contact your city or county government
Contact your local law enforcement
Contact a local pharmacy, hospital or clinic
Contact the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

7. Raise Awareness for a Take Back Event
Consult with “DEA Registered” professionals
Practitioners
Pharmacists
Consult with the DEA
Some medications are “controlled substances” which may be illegal to possess without authorization
Consult with local government and law enforcement
Consult with groups in other areas already doing take back events
Highlight models for successful events

8. Disposing at Home Remove medications from original container
Do not crush or break pills
Mix with an undesired substance
Cat litter
Coffee grounds
Place in a sealable container
Zip-top bag
Butter tub
Mark out any personally identifiable information on the pill bottle
Place all items in the trash
Source and Image Credit:

9. Resources for Proper Medication Disposal

10. What About My Sharps? Used needles and other “sharps” can be dangerous
Treat all “sharps” as if they are “infected”
Don’t
Put needles in the garbage
Flush needles down the toilet Do
Dispose of sharps in an approved container
Contact
City or county government to identify appropriate disposal sites
Local pharmacy or hospital to see if they can dispose

11. Resource for Proper Sharps Disposal

13. Medication
Drop Off

14. Drug Drop Off

15. Drug Drop Off

16. New Option for Getting Rid of Old Drugs
The Drug Enforcement Administration is loosening up its rules so that people will have more ways of disposing of drugs that can be risky to keep around after they're no longer needed.
New disposal options could also alleviate environmental concerns that crop up when people put their old drugs in the toilet or the garbage.