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

Mon Jul 13 15:03:46 EDT 2009

In Collier County, Florida, YRD's (Youth Relations Deputy) from the Collier 
 County Sheriff's office are assigned to all schools (including private)   
These officers collect controlled substances (from the school nurses who  
administer them)  at the end of each semester. They are treated as  abandoned 
property, secured and incinerated under the same procedure and policy  that 
Operation Medicine Cabinet secures medications from the public.

Non controlled medications are collected by Hazardous Waste management and  
incinerated.  

In a message dated 7/13/2009 1:50:48 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,  
Stevan.Gressitt at maine.gov writes:

Also see at the  bottom of the page: 
_http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/brochures/stimulant/stimulant_abuse.
htm#h_ 
(http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/brochures/stimulant/stimulant_abuse.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_ 
(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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