Schools
ETSU Hosted Drug Take Back Events
Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy students and faculty participated in the national effort.
October 29, 2020
Misused controlled prescription drugs are considered a critical public safety and public health issue by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). That’s why East Tennessee State University Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy participated in the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 24, helping remove over 730 pounds of unused prescription drugs from the region’s homes, providing an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.
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The event is typically held twice a year, though the spring event was canceled due to COVID-19.
In partnership with law enforcement, the college set up drug disposal locations at four sites across our region, collecting hundreds of pounds of unused prescriptions drugs in the following areas:
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Blountville, 210 pounds
Johnson City, 141 pounds
Jonesborough, 304.4 pounds
Mountain City, 75.4 pounds
According to a 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, nearly 10 million Americans misused controlled prescription drugs. The study shows that a majority of abused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
“This is a really good time to remind people to get extra medications out of their house,” said Dr. KariLynn Dowling-McClay, assistant professor of pharmacy practice. “Those can be a risk for kids or even pets getting into them. Also, access to controlled prescriptions in the home can often be a starter point for drug misuse or a substance use disorder.”
Dowling-McClay emphasized how events like these strengthen Gatton College of Pharmacy’s mission to serve the rural and underserved.
“This is a way we can get out in those communities and interact with people from the area and help them clean out their medicine cabinets and overall have better safety at home, as well as better management of their medication.”
This press release was produced by East Tennessee State University. The views expressed are the author's own.