Download Robin Goettel, Terri Hallesy, and Laura Kammin, IL-IN Sea Grant... Marti Martz and Anna McCartney, PA Sea Grant Program

Robin Goettel, Terri Hallesy, and Laura Kammin, IL-IN Sea Grant Program
Marti Martz and Anna McCartney, PA Sea Grant Program
Helen Domske, NY Sea Grant Program
IAGLR Conference
Duluth, Minnesota
June 3, 2011
Presentation Overview
• Background on the issue:
- Disposal of unwanted medicine
- Medicines in the environment
• Education programs and initiatives
What do you do with
your unwanted medicines?
Informal Poll
1.  Flush down the toilet.
2.  Throw in the trash unaltered.
3.  Throw in the trash after removing
name from bottle or altering the
leftover meds.
4.  Save for a collection event.
5.  Return to your pharmacist.
Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care
Products (PPCPs)
• Includes prescription and over-the-counter
medications, cleaning agents, cosmetics, nutritional
supplements, & skin care products
• Produced and used in larger volumes yearly
• Biologically active
Percent of persons reporting prescription drug use
in the past month, by age
Source: U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health
Statistics. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Percent of Students Reporting Annual
Non-Medical Use of Prescriptions, 2008
Drug
8th Grade
10th Grade
12th Grade
OxyContin
2.1%
3.9%
4.7%
Vicodin
2.9
6.7
9.7
Amphetamines
4.5
6.4
6.8
Ritalin
1.6
2.9
3.4
Sedatives
n/a
n/a
5.8
Methaqualone
n/a
n/a
0.5
Tranquilizers
2.4
4.6
6.2
Source: “Monitoring the Future” Report, 2008, NIH and Nat’l Institute on Drug Abuse
Disposal of Unwanted Medicines
In some cases, medicines are not entirely
consumed due to:
 
 
 
 
 
Change in prescription
Patient’s health improves before finishing
medicine
Patient death
Patient non-compliance
Bulk “economy size” containers
of over-the-counter medicines
contain more than is needed
before expiration date
What Can Be Done?
•  Extended producer responsibility
•  Pollution prevention
•  Legislation (state, regional, and national)
•  Local Collections
•  Education and awareness
Many New Education Partnerships
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High School Teachers
4-H Youth Educators/State Curriculum
Specialists
University Faculty and Students
DNR’s--Office of Education
Hazardous/Solid Waste Districts
Science Teacher Associations
Environmental Action Org. (Earth Force)
Community Libraries
The Medicine Chest –
A High School Curriculum
•  Informs youth and their families about the
harmful effects of improper medicine disposal
•  Provides teachers with best practices for
creating a community awareness campaign
• Incorporates a variety of
educational approaches for
instructing youth
Students in P2D2 Project paint rain barrel to
inform public about medicine disposal.
The Medicine Chest (cont’d)
•  Informs high school teachers
about the Prescription Pill and
Drug Disposal Program (P2D2)
•  Provides supplemental activities
to encourage students to
become actively engaged
•  Supports community
stewardship by offering models,
resources, and guidance
Engage Youth in Community
Stewardship Projects
•  Inform adults about critical action steps
•  Protect our waterways
•  Reduce medicine poisoning in children
•  Reduce identification theft
•  Reduce impacts on environment from
medicines given to livestock
Songs from Music Theory Class
“Cleaner Water—For You for Me”
Source: P2D2 Program, Mr. Schmink's A. P. Music Theory Class
http://www.p2d2program.org/old/01-Track1_000.mp3
4-H Guide—
Sensible Disposal of Unwanted Medicines
Helps youth understand:
•  Why chemicals from
medicines are found in the
environment
• The harm caused by these
chemicals
•  What can be done about it
So, What’s the Big Deal?
What do you notice about these
pictures?
  What do they show about how
contaminants can enter water sources?
 
Why should we care?
How can we let other people
know what to do?
Youth work in teams to educate
community members through:
•  Poster displays
•  Public Service Announcements
•  Demonstrations at
community events
and local venues
Dose of Reality
•  Geared to public and
middle/high schools
students
•  Visit a wastewater
treatment plant
•  Questions to ask-  Yourself
  Doctor
  Pharmacist
  Insurance Company
  Elected officials
Expected Long-term Impacts
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Public takes positive steps to properly
dispose of their unwanted medicines.
Student citizenship is enhanced in the
Great Lakes region.
This becomes a sustainable program where
new partnerships incorporate the latest
science into drug disposal ed. programs.
What is Still Needed?
Curb medicine waste and over-prescribing through:
Education
Research
Funding
Acknowledgments
We thank our sponsor, U.S. EPA Great Lakes
National Program Office, Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative (GLRI).
GLRI Partner Programs:
- Pennsylvania Sea Grant
- Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant
- New York Sea Grant
- Ohio Sea Grant
To Learn More about
Sea Grant Education Activities
Robin Goettel
Associate Director for Education
[email protected]
www.iisgcp.org/education/gros_educ.html