Page 12 - Nov/Dec 2015 Vol. 33 No. 5
P. 12
KNOXVILLE & KNOX COUNTY Provided by City of Knoxville
Medications Kept Out of Water Supply
Proper medication disposal is a serious Residential and household medications, the-counter products from getting into
problem not just in Tennessee but in all 50 and medications from businesses such as area water resources or into the hands
states. In early 2008 the Tennessee Depart- doctor’s offices, veterinarian clinics and of children and to make sure they were
ment of Environment and Conservation nursing homes, were also accepted. disposed of in a safe, environmentally-
approached the City of Knoxville Solid friendly manner.
Waste, Knox County Solid Waste, and the When prescriptions change, expire, if
Health Department about creating a pilot loved ones pass away, or if the medicines In Knoxville, medications aren’t only
project to collect unwanted unused medi- are simply unwanted, most individu- collected in order to keep them out of
cations. They chose the Knoxville area als pour them down the drain or flush the water or out of landfills. They are
because of previous successes in event- them down the toilet. That medication collected to keep them out of the wrong
based collections. ultimately makes its way into waters of hands. Too often family members’ miss-
the state. The involvement with local law ing medications have ended up passed
The effort was part of an ongoing, enforcement under the leadership of the around at drug parties or simply stolen
nationwide effort to reduce the amount of Knoxville Police Department Evidence in home break-ins. Knoxville’s Task Force
drugs, fragrances, sunscreen products and Unit has particularly influenced the in- for Medication Collection was unique in
nutritional supplements that are entering novation of the collection program. Knox- this marriage of environmental and public
water resources either from being flushed ville’s collection is ultimately about safety. safety concerns.
or poured down drains.
The goal of the medicine collection was In the beginning, Knoxville’s medica-
At the time there were no other models to prevent these pharmaceutical and over- tion collection program was one of only
or case studies in the Southeast to look to
for guidance. There were several complex- Acceptable items include:
ities challenging the successful develop-
ment of a program such as: • Prescription medications
• legal issues associated with collecting • All over-the-counter medications
• Pet medications
pharmaceuticals, • Medicated ointment, lotions or drops
• privacy concerns with respect to resi- • Liquid medications in leak-proof
dents’ medications, containers
• legal handling of federally scheduled • Inhalers
• Pills in any packaging, including
narcotics, and
• safety concerns in collecting large glass, plastic container, baggie
(ziploc) or foil
amounts of medications at collection
events. Items not accepted include:
Furthermore, Tennessee is consistently
ranked as one of the most medicated • Illegal drugs & narcotics
states in the nation, so demand for such a • Needles/sharps or syringes with
collection was extremely high. Despite the
above challenges, Knoxville put together needles
a task force to successfully develop a sus- • Blood sugar equipment
tainable collection program. Since the first • Thermometers
event in November 2008, over 8 tons of • IV bags
medications have been collected through • Bloody or infectious waste
a combination of events and a permanent • Personal care products (shampoo,
drop box at the downtown Police Safety
Building, which is accessible to anyone in lotions, etc.)
the community.
“We collected 896 lbs. of medication
over a weekend in May at Walgreens at
North Peters Road and Kingston Pike.
Over 100 lbs. of that was collected at the
Knoxville Police Department Safety Build-
ing and counted towards the event since
we advertised to drop it off there if people
could not attend the event,” said Knoxville
Solid Waste Manager John Homa speak-
ing about the success of the 2015 collec-
tion.
12 TPW November/December 2015
Medications Kept Out of Water Supply
Proper medication disposal is a serious Residential and household medications, the-counter products from getting into
problem not just in Tennessee but in all 50 and medications from businesses such as area water resources or into the hands
states. In early 2008 the Tennessee Depart- doctor’s offices, veterinarian clinics and of children and to make sure they were
ment of Environment and Conservation nursing homes, were also accepted. disposed of in a safe, environmentally-
approached the City of Knoxville Solid friendly manner.
Waste, Knox County Solid Waste, and the When prescriptions change, expire, if
Health Department about creating a pilot loved ones pass away, or if the medicines In Knoxville, medications aren’t only
project to collect unwanted unused medi- are simply unwanted, most individu- collected in order to keep them out of
cations. They chose the Knoxville area als pour them down the drain or flush the water or out of landfills. They are
because of previous successes in event- them down the toilet. That medication collected to keep them out of the wrong
based collections. ultimately makes its way into waters of hands. Too often family members’ miss-
the state. The involvement with local law ing medications have ended up passed
The effort was part of an ongoing, enforcement under the leadership of the around at drug parties or simply stolen
nationwide effort to reduce the amount of Knoxville Police Department Evidence in home break-ins. Knoxville’s Task Force
drugs, fragrances, sunscreen products and Unit has particularly influenced the in- for Medication Collection was unique in
nutritional supplements that are entering novation of the collection program. Knox- this marriage of environmental and public
water resources either from being flushed ville’s collection is ultimately about safety. safety concerns.
or poured down drains.
The goal of the medicine collection was In the beginning, Knoxville’s medica-
At the time there were no other models to prevent these pharmaceutical and over- tion collection program was one of only
or case studies in the Southeast to look to
for guidance. There were several complex- Acceptable items include:
ities challenging the successful develop-
ment of a program such as: • Prescription medications
• legal issues associated with collecting • All over-the-counter medications
• Pet medications
pharmaceuticals, • Medicated ointment, lotions or drops
• privacy concerns with respect to resi- • Liquid medications in leak-proof
dents’ medications, containers
• legal handling of federally scheduled • Inhalers
• Pills in any packaging, including
narcotics, and
• safety concerns in collecting large glass, plastic container, baggie
(ziploc) or foil
amounts of medications at collection
events. Items not accepted include:
Furthermore, Tennessee is consistently
ranked as one of the most medicated • Illegal drugs & narcotics
states in the nation, so demand for such a • Needles/sharps or syringes with
collection was extremely high. Despite the
above challenges, Knoxville put together needles
a task force to successfully develop a sus- • Blood sugar equipment
tainable collection program. Since the first • Thermometers
event in November 2008, over 8 tons of • IV bags
medications have been collected through • Bloody or infectious waste
a combination of events and a permanent • Personal care products (shampoo,
drop box at the downtown Police Safety
Building, which is accessible to anyone in lotions, etc.)
the community.
“We collected 896 lbs. of medication
over a weekend in May at Walgreens at
North Peters Road and Kingston Pike.
Over 100 lbs. of that was collected at the
Knoxville Police Department Safety Build-
ing and counted towards the event since
we advertised to drop it off there if people
could not attend the event,” said Knoxville
Solid Waste Manager John Homa speak-
ing about the success of the 2015 collec-
tion.
12 TPW November/December 2015
