UTPD is offering a way to help the UT community safely dispose of unused medications.
By having a secure drop-off box for community members to safely dispose of unused medications,including leftover prescribed unwanted or expired medications, UTPD is encouraging controlled disposal in order to lessen the likelihood for drug misuse. Narcotics, non-narcotics, over-the-counter and veterinary medicines are accepted; needles, biohazardous materials and illegal drugs will not be.
Lola Alapo, public information officer with UTPD, said that UTPD hopes the logistics of the drop-off box will run smoothly.
“(The drop-off box) is a permanent service. Every time the box is full, we contact the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for pickup and disposal,” Alapo said.
“We took this initiative to give the campus community and the greater community a safe option to dispose of unwanted medications,” Alapo added. “We do not want them to end up in the wrong hands or harm our environment.”
According to the Annual Health and Wellness 2017 Survey, 10% of UT students used prescription stimulant medication and 3% reported prescription pain medication not prescribed to them.
“Not many people know how to properly dispose of old or unwanted medicine,” Michéle Dorsainvil, associate director of the Center of Health Education and Wellness (CHEW), said. “Having a prescription drop box can benefit both the community and student body by helping prevent and reduce the diversion of these medications … Individuals will be able to get rid of the medications they no longer need, reducing the chances of misuse or accidental ingestion.”
CHEW works to help prevent drug abuse within the campus community and hopes the drop box will contribute to their efforts.
“One of CHEW’s focus areas is alcohol and other drug use prevention and intervention,” Dorsainvil said. “The drop box supports the work of this area to reduce the possible misuse of prescription medications.”
In this case, UTPD is helping meet the need of the area, with the opioid epidemic being rampant in Tennessee. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 1,186 deaths occurred in Tennessee related to opioid use in 2016, a rate of 18.1 for every 100,000 persons. This statistic ranks much higher than the national average of 13.2 per 1000,000 individuals.
On top of the work done by UTPD, CHEW is taking preventative measures to combat these numbers and assist UT students. Common misuses include flushing or trashing unwanted pharmaceuticals which eventually can take such substances to waterways, making the awareness of a medication drop box location paramount.
“CHEW is also working to finalize a group health education program about prescription stimulants entitled Vols Know Prescription Stimulants,” Dorsainvil said. “The program was designed to inform students about various prescription stimulants, their effects, and the misuse surrounding them. The drop-off box can be incorporated into this program by informing students of the location and its benefits when we discuss ways to prevent the misuse of prescription stimulants.”
The UTPD office is located at 1101 Cumberland Avenue, with the lobby and access to the collection box available 24 hours all seven days of the week.
