Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Unused Medication Collection: An Emerging Service-Learning Experience For Pharmacy Students, Anne E. Packard, Maryam Noureldin, A. Carmine Colavecchia, Patricia L. Darbishire, Jennifer Colavecchia

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

While the U.S. makes up around 5% of the world’s population, we consume approximately 75% of the world’s prescription drugs—well over 4 billion prescriptions per year. Approximately one third of those are never used, creating an array of public health challenges. These challenges include land and water pollution; unintentional inappropriate use and unintentional human, pet, and wildlife poisonings; and intentional drug abuse and diversion. Misuse of prescription drugs now exceeds that of all illegal drugs combined. Reducing the number of medications prescribed is of primary importance, as well as collecting unnecessary medications from households and disposing of them through environmentally …

Safe Medication Disposal In Underserved Communities, Elaina Etter

Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement

Of the 130 Americans who will die each day from opioid overdose, 46 will have overdosed on prescription opioid medications. The opioid epidemic has become one of our nation’s largest public health crises. Because many individuals may have access to prescription medications of family members or friends, responsible medication disposal has become increasingly important to prevent harm.

This fall, I worked on a professional project at local Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), which aimed to increase education about safe medication disposal. These clinics provide comprehensive healthcare services to underserved patients, many of whom live in rural areas or have limited …