Pharmaceutical Take-Back Program in a Rural Community

Pharmaceutical Take-Back Program in a Rural Community

The panhandle in the state of Nebraska, U.S., has experienced a severe drought for the past ten years.  Interest for safe water sources has mandated the development of sophisticated methods in monitoring and detecting water pollutants.  Improved tests have resulted in groundwater and surface water contamination at lower levels, which in turn has led to better public awareness.  Pharmaceuticals and personal care products are some of these emerging contaminants.  New information has been making headlines and raising questions concerning the potential human health risks.

Keep Scottsbluff-Gering Beautiful, an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, and the communities of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, U.S. and Gering, Nebraska, U.S., 22,337 populations, made the decision to take the lead in adopting a Pharmaceutical Take-Back event in our community as a way to provide a safe method for disposal and management of unused medicines.  We were first in the state of Nebraska and surrounding states as well.  Research, partnerships, financing and education was essential to make this a reality in our rural community.  The first event was held May 19^th, 2007.  Six hundred pounds of pharmaceuticals and over $6000.00 of narcotics were collected.  Our second event was held May 31^st, 2008, and this time we collected 1,000 pounds of pharmaceuticals and over $25,000.00 of narcotics.  Our next event is scheduled for May 16^th, 2009. 

We have presented this program at the Keep America Beautiful Conference in Washington, DC and several conferences in Nebraska, U.S., Keep America Beautiful affiliates, from Georgia, Louisiana, New Mexico and Oklahoma, U.S.; have modeled their Pharmaceutical Take-Back programs from Keep Scottsbluff-Gering Beautiful.