McKean County, PA
Unwanted Medication Collection
Program
Bradford Regional Medical Center
Bradford, PA, McKean County
Saturday, May 16, 2009, 8 to Noon

The Beginning!
Allegheny, Susquehanna and
Genessee Rivers

Partners and Resources
• PA CleanWays – 2 million dollar insurance, volunteers, DEP Household Hazardous Grant
Administration
• Penn State Extension – Leadership, advertising, and organization.
• McKean Conservation District – Leadership, volunteers, and Water Resources Education
Network Grant (WREN) Administration.

Partners and Resources
• Bradford Regional Medical Center – Site and
Pharmacist
Environmental Enterprises Incorporated,
Cincinnati, Ohio – Non – controlled substances
• McKean County Sherriff and Deputy –
Security and Controlled Substances
• Hamot Medical Center, Erie, PA - Incinerator

Partners and Resources
• McKean County Commissioners – Political and
Financial Support
• PA DEP – Household Hazardous Grant – 50% of Costs
• League of Women Voters – WREN Grant –
$5000.00
– Unwanted Medication Collection Event
– Educational PowerPoint
– Personal Care Home Survey

Unwanted Medication Collection
Program
• Saturday, May 16, 2009
• Bradford Regional Medical Center Parking Lot
• 8AM to Noon

Educational PowerPoint
OBJECTIVES
Explain the Issue
Share USGS and Dr Volz Research Information
Tour of Wastewater Treatment Plant
Send NO Flushing Message
Advertise the Unwanted Medication Collection
Event

Research Data
• Fish Study – June 14, 2008
• Dr. Conrad Volz, University of Pittsburgh,
Control Study on Upper Allegheny River

You Wouldn’t Do This!

So Don’t Do This!

Placemat – 12,000 Distributed

Survey Results
• Cameron, McKean, and Potter County
Personal Care Homes
• 5 Facilities Surveyed
• Total Beds = 459
• Average = 91.8 Beds
• % Beds Occupied – 93% Average

Medication Disposal Needs
• Increasing – 2 (40%)
• Decreasing – 0
• Same – 3 (60%)

Type of Pharmacy Used
• Mail – Order Pharmacy – 1
• Long Term Care Pharmacy – 4
• Veterans Pharmacy – 1
• Pharmacy Management Group - 1

Reasons for Unwanted Medications
• Patient leaves or dies – 3
• Allergic or adverse reaction – 1
• Medication Expired – 2
• Medication No longer required – 5
• Patient refused treatment – 3
• Excess dosage – 1
• Medication dropped or spilled - 4

Reasons Why They Flush
• Does not flush – 1
• Medicare Policy – 1
Medicaid Policy – 1
• Drug Enforcement Agency policy – 1
• Facility Guidelines – 2
• Other (Disposed of in Sharps Container) - 1

If flushed- Water Destination
• Wastewater sent to Sewage
Treatment Plant - 4

How Often Do You Dispose
• As necessary – 2
• Once/week – 1
• Once/month - 1

Who Should Create Alternative to
Flushing
• State Government – 1
• Federal Government – 3
• Pharmaceutical Companies – 1

Pharmaceutical Movement
A. 0-4-2-0
B. 0-4-1-0
C. 0-3-2-0
D. 1-4-0-0
E. 0-3-0-0
F. 2-4-0-0

Who Is Flushing
• We found that 3 facilities are flushing 100% of their controlled substances.
• One Facility Manager Suggestion:
– “Have a bolted down safe that can receive controlled substances and then Pharmacy
Representative visits and opens and empties periodically. “

Thank You
• Jim Clark, Extension Educator
Penn State Coop Extension of McKean jac20@psu.edu
814-887-5613
Heather McKean, Watershed Specialist
McKean County Conservation District hsmckean@mckeancountypa.org
814-887-4003