EDUCATING LEADERS IN PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES SINCE 1886
PharmD students encourage safe medication disposal at Drug Take Back Day
By Samantha Nebelecky
Published November 1, 2024
PharmD students from the University at Buffalo (UB) School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPPS) worked to improve the health and safety of our local community on October 26 during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Drug Take Back Day provides a convenient and responsible way to dispose of prescription medications while educating the public on the safe handling of unused or expired drugs. This biannual initiative is a joint effort involving the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), local police departments, licensed pharmacists and the Pharmacists Association of Western New York (PAWNY).
PharmD students, along with SPPS alumni and other local pharmacy supervisors, were stationed at two community locations: DeGraff Memorial Hospital and Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital They helped community members safely dispose of unwanted medications and distributed flyers on medication safety and proper drug disposal methods using drug disposal pouches.
Those who missed the event can search for year-round drug disposal locations on the DEA website.
DeGraff Memorial Hospital site
L-R: North Tonawanda Police Officer, DEA Agent, Marianne Bauerlein, RPh, Staff Pharmacist at DeGraff Memorial Hospital, Sandra Lu, PharmD ’28, Yan Pan, PharmD ‘26, Christopher Yau, PharmD ‘26, Corrina Quach, PharmD ’26, Sandra, RPh, Staff Pharmacist at DeGraff Memorial Hospital, Helen Yeung, BScPhm, PharmD, Pharmacy Supervisor at DeGraff Memorial, DEA Agents.
Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital site
L-R: Liwen (Jennie) Qin, PharmD ‘26, Emily Lin, PharmD ‘27, Liem Nguyen, PharmD ‘27, Christopher Kotowski, PharmD, Director of Pharmacy at Millard Fillmore Suburban, Carol Botros, PharmD ‘28, Jessica Dudzinski, PharmD ‘27, DEA Agents and Amherst Police Officers.
L-R: Sandra Lu, PharmD ’28, providing counseling on proper disposal of expired/unwanted medications and giving drug disposal pouches, Marianne Bauerlein, RPh, Staff Pharmacist at DeGraff Memorial Hospital.
For over 135 years, the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has continually been a leader in the education of pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists, renowned for innovation in clinical practice and research. The school is accredited by the American Council of Pharmaceutical Education and is the No. 1 ranked school of pharmacy in New York State and No. 19 in the United States by U.S. News & World Report.