[Pharmwaste] Re: Pharmwaste Digest, Vol 45, Issue 3

Mon Jul 13 13:49:51 EDT 2009

Also see at the bottom of the page:

http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/brochures/stimulant/stimulant_abu
se.htm#h 

Stevan Gressitt, M.D., Medical Director

Office of Adult Mental Health Services

Department of Health and Human Services

Marquardt Building, 2nd Floor

11 State House Station

32 Blossom Lane

Augusta, ME  04333-0011

Ph: (207)287-4273

Fax: (207)287-1022

Cell Phone: (207) 441-0291

E-Mail : stevan.gressitt at maine.gov <mailto:stevan.gressitt at maine.gov> 

http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mh/ <http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mh/> 

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________________________________

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Tenace,
Laurie
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 12:04 PM
To: William More; pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] Re: Pharmwaste Digest, Vol 45, Issue 3

We have been asked this question in the past and below is the response
we developed with help from the Florida Department of Health: 

Thank you for your inquiry about how a school should dispose of student
medicines that have not been claimed by the parent/guardian at the end
of a school year.  We collaborated at an earlier date about this
question with colleagues in the Florida Department of Health and the
Florida Board of Pharmacy to ensure that our guidance agreed with their
applicable regulations as well as our agency's regulations.

    First and foremost, the school should make sure that our disposal
recommendations (below) do not conflict with any specific policies or
procedures of their school or school district. The school may have
liability, insurance, etc. concerns of which we are not aware that
warrant or mandate a different method of disposal of these medications.
If there is a specific policy for the school or school district, that
policy should be followed.

    Absent a specific school or school district policy or procedure, we
recommend that the school make a good effort to return these unused
medications to the parent/guardian (not to the student due to the
potential for misuse and its attendant liability for the school). If the
school can get them back to the parents, provide the parents with a copy
of our disposal guidance (attached). 

    For those medications that, for whatever reason, the school cannot
get back to the parents, the school should follow our disposal guidance
(attached).  That disposal guidance recommends disposal of the
medications in the trash, after taking precautions to prevent
intentional or unintentional misuse.  Those precautions include removing
the patient name and prescription number from the label; mixing in a
substance to render the medication unusable or unrecognizable; and
sealing and disguising the medication container.   These medications
should not be flushed down a toilet or a drain. 

Our unused medication disposal guidance and other information is
available on our medications web in English and Spanish at
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/medications.

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of William
More
Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 11:44 AM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: [Pharmwaste] Re: Pharmwaste Digest, Vol 45, Issue 3

Does anyone know what School Nurses do with left over prescriptions at
the end of the school term/year? Epipens? Inhalers? Drugs? Is anyone
aware of a school district disposing of the same?  Were they properly
disposed?  Epipens are also Sharps?

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