TTUHSC to Host Lubbock’s Fall Medication Cleanout™
Event Helps Residents Safely Discard Unwanted, Unused and Expired Medications
In an ongoing effort to help local residents to properly dispose of all expired, unwanted or unnecessary medications, the Texas Panhandle Poison Center (TPPC), managed by the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, will host Lubbock’s Fall Medication Cleanout™ event 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 1 (Saturday) at the Texas Tech Physicians Medical Pavilion, 3601 Fourth St.
Medication Cleanout™ employs a drive-thru, drop-off format that allows residents to conveniently dispose of their medications without leaving their cars. Yard signs will be posted to help drivers locate the drive-thru path.
TPPC Managing Director Jeanie Shawhart, Pharm.D., said old medications may be accessed by teens experimenting with drugs or become sources of potential poisoning to young children. They also pose a hazard to adults and elderly because they increase the risk of choosing the wrong bottle or taking medications that are no longer required.
Shawhart, who also is an assistant professor of pharmacy practice at the Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, said the Medication Cleanout™ program takes a proactive approach to safeguarding communities by providing a free and convenient way for people to dispose of these medications in a legal and environmentally sound manner.
“We encourage Lubbock residents and those from the surrounding communities to bring their unused, expired or unnecessary medications for proper disposal,” Shawhart added. “We also provide disposal services for syringes or sharps.”
This is TPPC’s 77th Medication Cleanout™ event since the program’s 2009 inception. To date, more than 69,000 pounds of medications and sharps have been collected for proper disposal. Shawhart said the abuse of prescription medications continues to be a national epidemic.
“Now is the time to clean out your medicine cabinets and remove these items from your homes to reduce the risk of poisoning by medications,” Shawhart stressed. “Many pre-teens, teens and adults are experiencing depression and sadness, and the pandemic certainly magnified some of those feelings, which could lead them to impulsively turn to the medicine cabinet for relief or as a suicidal gesture. Because of this, taking a few minutes to clean out your medication could be a life-saving task because poisoning, which includes medication overdose, is the third most common means of suicide today in the U.S.”
Shawhart said medications brought to the event for disposal should be left in their original containers. Because of environmental restrictions, only medications from households can be accepted. Medications from clinics, pharmacies and other businesses are not allowed.
Volunteers from the Department of Community, Family and Addiction Services at the Texas Tech University College of Human Sciences will provide support for Lubbock’s fall Medication Cleanout™. For more information, call (806) 414-9495 or visit MedicationCleanout.com.
Related Stories
TTUHSC School of Nursing Student Accepted Into Navy Nurse Candidate Program
TTUHSC) hosted a swear-in ceremony for TTUHSC School of Nursing student Gwen Padgett Thursday, Jan. 18.
Remembering Darlene Norton, Professor Emerita
Darlene Norton, Professor Emerita, educator, leader, community health worker, nurse practitioner, mentor and patient advocate, passed away Jan. 13, 2024 in Albuquerque, N.M.
Faculty Women's Club Celebrates 50 Years
The FWC of the TTUHSC School of Medicine will hold a celebration dinner in honor of 50 years as an organization on February 7 at Skyviews restaurant in Lubbock.
Recent Stories
TTUHSC Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy Students Celebrate Residency Assignments on Match Day
Fourth-year TTUHSC Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy students interested in completing a residency after they graduate in May, learned Wednesday (March 13) where they would spend the next stage of their training during the Pharmacy Residency Match Day.
Medical Students Meet Their Match
Anticipation, excitement and nerves created a match made in medicine as 165 TTUHSC School of Medicine students participated in Match Day.
TTUHSC’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Hosts 36th Student Research Week
Students scientists participated in the 36th Annual Student Research Week, hosted by the TTUHSC Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Feb. 28-March 1.