Episode 249: Drug Disposal Quiz Answers

The answers to the Drug Disposal Quiz in episode 242 of The Pharmacists Voice Podcast are the focus of today’s episode.

My audience is typically pharmacists, pharmacy students, pharmacy technicians, pharmacy professors, pharmacy owners, and medical narrators. The drug disposal quiz questions are for pharmacy professionals who field questions about drug disposal from well-meaning patients, friends, family, pet-owners, and community members. These questions (and answers) are meant to prepare you for drug disposal questions so that you can field them at any time of the year.

I asked 10 questions and crowdsources answers. In this episode, you will hear input from a number of sources. First is a panel discussion featuring Brittany Sandidge, Ruth Emptage, PharmD and Kelsey Schmuhl, PharmD from The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy’s Generation RX Program, a medication safety-focused educational outreach program. Then, I’ll share responses from two DEA Representatives. One is a National Take Back Initiative Coordinator. The other is a Community Outreach & Prevention Support Program Manager. Last, but not least, I’ll share input from my poison prevention educator friends Dr. Wendy Stephan and Angel Bivens, RPh and the Poison Help Line (specifically, The Central Ohio Poison Center).

Subscribe to or follow The Pharmacist’s Voice ® Podcast to get each new episode delivered to your podcast player and YouTube every time a new one comes out!

Apple Podcasts https://apple.co/42yqXOG

Google Podcasts https://bit.ly/3J19bws

Spotify https://spoti.fi/3qAk3uY

Amazon/Audible https://adbl.co/43tM45P

YouTube https://bit.ly/43Rnrjt

Drug Disposal Quiz Questions

What’s the best way to get rid of a half-empty tube of fluorouracil cream?

You’re volunteering at a Movie night at your child’s elementary school. You’re at the sign-in table. A 1st grader with a peanut allergy gets dropped off, and you’re now in charge of her Epi-Pen. After drop off, you notice that the pen is 5 months expired. Mom or Dad will be picking up the student and her expired Epi-Pen up in an hour. What will you say to them?

You visit your Grandma. You have a headache, and you need some Advil. You go to her medicine cabinet, and all her OTC’s expired 20 years ago. What do you say to Grandma?

Your domestic partner switches from lisinopril to losartan. He doesn’t know what to do with the discontinued lisinopril tablets. What do you tell him?

You volunteer with the Addiction Task Force for your County. They have information tables at health fairs and other community events. It’s September 15. Drug take-back day is October 28. What opportunities do you have as a pharmacist at this table?

You find an illicit substance in your college-aged child’s pocket. Can you get rid of illicit substances at Drug Take-Back Days?

You’re working in a community pharmacy, and one of your patients comes in with a grocery sack FULL of expired meds. She wants you to take care of them for her. Unfortunately, you don’t have a drug disposal box in your building. It’s September 15. Drug take-back day is October 28. What do you tell that patient to do?

When is the last time YOU, as a pharmacy professional, cleaned out your medicine cabinet?

Where is the closest drug disposal box to you?

On drug take-back day, where can you or people in your community dispose of dosage forms that are generally not collected at drug disposal boxes year-round at police stations and community pharmacies? This would be inhalers, liquids, injectables (maybe some Lovenox), suppositories, patches, and so on? Does one particular hospital or collection site open up just twice/year to collect and destroy those items?

Links from this episode