MTSU fall drug take-back day collection yields 83 pounds

Officials with the MTSU Campus Pharmacy, assisted by students from the Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy and University of Tennessee-Memphis Health Science Center, collected more than 81 pounds of unwanted drugs dropped off by the public Thursday (Oct. 25) near the pharmacy’s drive-thru on the east side of campus.

More than 39 pounds of prescription medications, 39 pounds of over-the-counter drugs and 4.4 pounds of controlled substances were taken in by the MTSU pharmacy and Campus Police on the second of two semiannual events to coincide with National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days held every spring and fall.

Expired, unused, and unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medicines were accepted during the 5½ -hour-long MTSU drive.

“I’d say it was successful,” MTSU Pharmacist Tabby Ragland said. “Fifty-three pounds was collected in the spring, so this is a significant increase. We had lots of different things dropped off that spanned from veterinarian medications to controlled substances like Percocet and Norco (hydrocodone).”

For the first time, people could drop off vape and electronic or e-cigarette items at the MTSU site, but none were collected, Ragland said.

Lipscomb fourth-year pharmacy student Tyler Hollis of Murfreesboro, second-year Lipscomb pharmacy student Taylor Hammond of Indiana and fourth-year UT-Memphis Health Science Center pharmacy student Tyler Clinard of Clarksville, Tenn., helped collect and document the medicines.

MTSU Health Promotion Director Lisa Schrader will announce the spring 2020 drug take-back day in early April. For more information, call 615-494-8704.