WLEN Interview with ProMedica CVH Hospital Lead Pharmacy Technician Jessica Dixon

Woman’s Voice: This special program is brought to you by the Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition. Guests provide information about upcoming events, resources available, and the many ways to help reduce substance use and promote a healthy Lenawee.

Kathy Williams: This is Kathy Williams and with me on tonight’s program is Jessica Dixon, and Jessica is with ProMedica Hospital. She is the lead pharmacy technician, and Jessica and I are going to talk about the upcoming Drug Take-Back event, which is happening on Saturday, October 29th.

Jessica Dixon: That’s right.

Kathy Williams: Yeah. Jessica, you’ve been involved in these Drug Take-Backs for quite a few years now.

Jessica Dixon: For a lot of years. Yeah, about 15 years I believe.

Kathy Williams: Now we were always surprised at the different kinds of medications that come into the Drug Take-Back event. Can you help our listeners understand better? What is acceptable?

Jessica Dixon: We take just about every medication that you have. Medications that are aerosol in aerosol containers, oral tablets, we take liquids, injectables, pet medications… we can take all of those.

Kathy Williams: Yeah, and even salves.

Jessica Dixon: Yes. The lotions, the creams, all of those. We will take those. We also are offering the sharps collection as well.

Kathy Williams: Yes.

Jessica Dixon: And so any needles you have, we can dispose of those.

Kathy Williams: The biggest thing though that we want to help our listeners understand too, is they can bring things in the original containers. They just, it’s nice if they wipe out their personal information, but you know, if they forget to do that, we’re going to do that at the take back event.

Jessica Dixon: Absolutely. Yep. Original containers are fine. We’re going to black off anything that doesn’t need to be seen, any of your personal information, but absolutely.

Kathy Williams: And then I love the fact that you have volunteers then that are helping you with sorting. Can you tell us a little about that?

Jessica Dixon: We have volunteers from the University of Toledo. They are pharmacy students. So they come in, we get about six of them every time we have this. And they will sort the products into the categories they go into and they get, you know, they get credit for credit hours, but they really enjoy coming and visiting with the community and being there for us.

Kathy Williams: Well, and the other thing that’s great too is that they, of course, they are, getting some knowledge on different products while they’re there, but then we also have great security guards that are watching to make sure nothing crazy is happening here.

Jessica Dixon: Absolutely. Our security there is present. We have Sheriff’s Deputy there as well, so it’s a very, very safe environment for this to take place.

Kathy Williams: So at the Drug Take-Back event itself again is Saturday the 29th, and it’s from 10 o’clock till two o’clock. This is a hard stop. Two o’clock.

Jessica Dixon: Two o’clock, we are done. We are collecting our signs and packing up for the day.

Kathy Williams: Yeah, it’s kind of a regulation type thing.

Jessica Dixon: It is.

Kathy Williams: Because this is being done nationwide, correct?

Jessica Dixon: Correct, yes.

Kathy Williams: All over the place through the, is it…

Jessica Dixon: DEA.

Kathy Williams: The DEA. Is it Drug Enforcement…?

Jessica Dixon: Yep. Drug Enforcement Agency.

Kathy Williams: I’m like, I know it’s not environmental, so gotta get your acronyms correct.

Jessica Dixon: Yes.

Kathy Williams: Jessica, we also will take, you know, vitamins and things like that that are expired.

Jessica Dixon: Absolutely. Over the counter meds. Not only the prescription medications, but all over the counter medications, vitamins, supplements.

Kathy Williams: Yeah, we talked before, I don’t know how many times, you know, you’ve bought some kind of extra diet thing that’s going to miracle make you lose 20 pounds in 19 days and then you found out it didn’t work and you have half a bottle left and you’re like, what do I do with it?

Jessica Dixon: Yeah. We will gladly take it off your hands.

Kathy Williams: Exactly. And that all counts toward, you know, the end results of not putting it in the trash. Not flushing it down the toilet.

Jessica Dixon: Right.

Kathy Williams: And then, because you know, this is part of the Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, we want to get drugs out of the way so that they’re not misused.

Jessica Dixon: Absolutely. And we provide that safe, convenient way to do it. We contract with a company that comes in and removes the medications and they incinerate it to make the meds un-retrievable.

Kathy Williams: Yes. And at the same time, you’ll also help dispose of the original packaging too, so that none of that’s, you know, laying around or accidentally available to anyone.

Jessica Dixon: Right. Yep. All private information is blacked out and disposed of all that trash.

Kathy Williams: Exactly. So, we want to of course, encourage people, you know, start looking now. This program’s of course, on October 24th, on a Monday, but you have all week to go looking for your products.

Jessica Dixon: Yes.

Kathy Williams: It’s amazing how many different places people stick stuff and then forget it’s there. And so this is a perfect time to go through those drawers and find “Oh yeah. I probably shouldn’t have those eardrops anymore.”

Jessica Dixon: Oh, right. Your medicine cabinet. Your little drawer at your desk. You know.

Kathy Williams: Yeah.

Jessica Dixon: It’s always little, little places that we leave things.

Kathy Williams: So everything is going to be, oh, there’s going to be new signage this year, I understand, in front of the ProMedica Hickman hospital that’s going to actually say “Drug Take-Back event”. And it’s going to have arrows pointing you to where everything is happening. It’s along the side of the emergency room, but back behind the hospital.

Jessica Dixon: Yep. Behind the, if you drive in closer to the emergency room, you will get it and follow your, follow the signs. They should be pointing you to the way.

Kathy Williams: Yeah.

Jessica Dixon: And we’ll be right behind the hospital.

Kathy Williams: Exactly. Well, we’re excited to have it happen and encourage people you know, if you have neighbors that can’t come, you know, you know, get with your family and friends and just do a big collection and you don’t even have to get out of your car. It’s a drive through event.

Jessica Dixon: It is a drive through. We’ll go right to your window and pick up your items.

Kathy Williams: There you go. Thanks so much, Jessica. We appreciate your being a part of the Drug Take-Back Day and, and everything you do.

Jessica Dixon: Well, thank you. Thanks for having me.

Kathy Williams: You’re welcome.

Woman’s Voice: The Lenawee Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition supported by funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration. Thank you for listening. New messages air on the second and fourth Monday each month at 6:15 PM. You can listen to this program as a podcast under the “on air audio” tab on WLEN.com and get more information at DrugPreventionLenawee.com.