On Saturday, September 26, Philadelphia School of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) School of Pharmacy students will participate in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA’s) 10th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which aims to provide a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs. The American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) chapter at PCOM School of Pharmacy-Georgia Campus will be assisting law enforcement officials from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at three drop-off locations – the Snellville Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office. Community members are encouraged to drop off their unwanted, unneeded or expired prescription medications for safe and proper disposal.
Other community collection locations can be found by going to www.dea.gov. According to the DEA’s official webpage, this site will be continuously updated with new take-back locations.
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines left in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. In addition, many people do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing prescription drugs down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards.
Over the previous nine nationwide Take-Back days from 2010 to 2014, there have been 4,823,251 pounds, or 2,411 tons of drugs collected, according to the DEA.
PCOM Georgia has been serving students and the community for 20 years as a branch campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a private, not-for-profit, accredited institution of higher education established in 1899. Located in Suwanee (Gwinnett County), PCOM Georgia offers doctoral degrees in osteopathic medicine, pharmacy and physical therapy. Graduate degrees are offered in biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science and physician assistant studies. The campus joins PCOM South Georgia in Moultrie in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state. Emphasizing "a whole person" approach to care, PCOM Georgia focuses on educational excellence, interprofessional education and service to the community. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 678-225-7500. The campus is also home to the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic, which is open to the public by appointment. For more information, visit pcomgeorgiahealth.org.
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