On Wednesday, November 18, 2015, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT) partnered with the Verona Municipal Alliance Committee (VMAC), the Verona Police Department, and the New Jersey Pharmacists Association (NJPhA) to educate local senior citizens about prescription medication misuse, abuse, and theft at the Verona Community Center. During the event, the Verona Police Department collected 10 pounds of old or unused prescription medication. They will incinerate the medications using the services of The Essex County Resource Recovery Facility owned by Covanta Energy.
Essex County Division of Community Health Services Deputy Director and ADAPT Prescription Drugs Chairwoman Eileen Fishman consulting a local senior from Verona, NJ.
The Brown Bag Event is one initiative used by ADAPT to increase the number of residents that monitor, secure, and properly dispose of their old or unused prescription medication. Disposing of the medication prevents theft or abuse by friends or family members who may be dealing with addiction. This initiative makes disposal easier by going to where the seniors live or congregate rather than making them go out of their way. “Our main goal with this initiative is to empower senior citizens to make a difference and potentially save a life,” stated Joel Torres, ADAPT Senior Coordinator. “Everyone has a chance to make an impact and save a life by disposing of medications that they are not using.”
Along with this, Dr. Ankur Jetley from NJPhA and ADAPT’s Prescription Drug Chairwoman Eileen Fishman use the event to recommend that seniors talk to their pharmacists to ensure they understand the medication they are taking and any health complications that can occur. Some recommendations include, using weekly or monthly pillboxes, understanding the importance of taking medication regularly, and not mixing generic and name brand medications. In addition, they emphasize that pharmacists are there to answer any questions related to the medication a client is taking. “It is our role as a part of dispensing medications to you to ensure you feel comfortable with whatever you are taking,” said Eileen Fishman. “The doctor is the diagnostician, but we are the experts on the drugs.”
For more details or to request a Brown Bag Event or other ADAPT initiatives in your area, contact Joel Torres at 973-323-3907 or [email protected].
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