Drug Disposal Education at Prescription Pick-Up: Begin With the End in Mind

What happens to medications after they leave the pharmacy?   In this episode of The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast, Ohio pharmacist Kim Newlove discusses why and how pharmacists should incorporate drug disposal education at prescription pick-up—before medications become a safety risk in the home.   Kim shares two practical approaches: Passive education, such as signage at the pharmacy counter Direct education, through brief counseling conversations   Read the FULL show notes on https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast   You'll also hear a real-world example of how pharmacists and students can make a long-term community impact by creating and maintaining county-wide drug take-back box lists.   In this episode, you'll learn: Why "beginning with the end in mind" matters in pharmacy workflow What information to include on a drug disposal sign at the pick-up window How to counsel patients on drug disposal without adding burden to your day Why drug take-back boxes and events are critical for safety, diversion prevention, and environmental protection Seven benefits of proper medication storage and disposal How pharmacists and student pharmacists can support community-wide prevention efforts   This episode is ideal for pharmacists, student pharmacists, preceptors, and pharmacy leaders looking for realistic ways to improve patient education and public health outcomes.   Helpful Links & Resources: DEA National Drug Take Back Program: https://www.dea.gov/takebackday  FDA Flush List: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-fdas-flush-list-certain-medicines Wood County, Ohio Drug Take-Back Box List: https://www.wcadamh.org/guides    Share This Episode If you know a pharmacist or student pharmacist who works at the prescription pick-up window, please share this episode with them.    Follow the show Subscribe to or follow The Pharmacist's Voice® Podcast on your favorite podcast player and on YouTube so you never miss a new episode.    Additional content - not mentioned in this episode At most, there are 6 weekly episodes after episode 361. This is what's coming up:  Ep 362: December 26, drug pronunciation episode  Ep 363: January 2, Faith Community Discussions about Addiction + Justice  Ep 364: January 9, drug pronunciation episode Ep 365: January 16, Moneyball 2.0 Ep 366: January 23, 6 Year Podcast Anniversary Show Ep 367: January 30, possible bonus with Vance Brown, RPh   Sign up for The Pharmacist's Voice ® monthly email newsletter! https://bit.ly/3AHJIaF    This podcast is on all major podcast players and YouTube. Popular links below. ⬇️   Apple Podcasts   https://apple.co/42yqXOG  Spotify  https://spoti.fi/3qAk3uY  Amazon/Audible  https://adbl.co/43tM45P YouTube https://bit.ly/43Rnrjt   Host Background: Kim Newlove has been an Ohio pharmacist since 2001 (BS Pharm, Chem Minor). Her experience includes hospital, retail, compounding, and behavioral health. She is also an author, voice actor (medical narrator and audiobook narrator), podcast host, and consultant (audio production and podcasting).    Kim's websites and social media links: ✅ Guest Application Form (The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast) https://bit.ly/41iGogX ✅ Monthly email newsletter sign-up link https://bit.ly/3AHJIaF  ✅ LinkedIn Newsletter link https://bit.ly/40VmV5B ✅ Business website https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com ✅ Get my FREE eBook and audiobook about podcasting ✅ The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast ✅ Drug pronunciation course https://www.kimnewlove.com  ✅ Podcasting course https://www.kimnewlove.com/podcasting  ✅ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimnewlove ✅ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/kim.newlove.96 ✅ Twitter https://twitter.com/KimNewloveVO ✅ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kimnewlovevo/ ✅ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA3UyhNBi9CCqIMP8t1wRZQ ✅ ACX (Audiobook Narrator Profile) https://www.acx.com/narrator?p=A10FSORRTANJ4Z ✅ Start a podcast with my coach, Dave Jackson from The School of Podcasting! *New 12-4-25* Click my affiliate link: https://community.schoolofpodcasting.com/invitation?code=G43D3G    Thank you for listening to episode 361 of The Pharmacist's Voice ® Podcast.  If you know someone who would like this episode, please share it with them!