TPPC Concludes Fall Medication Cleanout® Cycle

volunteer collecting medication from the medication cleanout in Amarillo

lubbock fall medication cleanout volunteers and bags of dropped-off medication

woman obtaining medication from a vehicle at the fall medication cleaout in Amarillo

The Texas Panhandle Poison Center (TPPC), hosted by the TTUHSC Jerry H. Hodge School of Pharmacy, recently conducted its 2021 Fall Medication Cleanout® cycle with collections in Amarillo, Abilene and Lubbock. The collections provide a way for residents to dispose of unwanted and unused medications safely and in an environmentally conscious way, free of charge.

Even amid pandemic conditions, the collections yielded impressive results, with a record turnout in Lubbock where, over the course of the four-hour period, volunteers saw 452 cars drop off 1,387 pounds of medicine and 270 pounds of medical sharps. 380 cars in Amarillo dropped off 1,633 pounds of medications and 227 pounds of sharps, and 210 cars in Abilene safely disposed of 625 pounds of medications and 169 pounds of sharps. The combined locations saw over 1,000 cars participate.

volunteers at the abilene medication cleanout

Across the three locations, 109 volunteers assisted with this critical service, including Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) students from the schools of nursing, pharmacy and medicine, as well as representatives from Texas Tech University (TTU)’s College of Human Sciences. Many TTUHSC faculty and staff also showed their support.

Medication Cleanout™ employed a drive-thru, drop-off format that allowed residents to conveniently dispose of their medications without leaving their cars. More information on the bi-annual collection cycle is available on the Medication Cleanout® website.