About p2d2

The objectives of the program are:

Awareness: to every community of the impacts of improper disposal of pharmaceuticals.
Educate: citizens in reducing and eliminating pharmaceuticals from entering our environment.
Initiate: positive working relationships between schools, pharmacies, communities, local government, and city officials.
Enable: communities to improve their physical environments and quality of life through environmental education.
Reduce: consumer waste in the environment.
Assess: quantity of household pharmaceutical waste disposed of in an area.
Engage: all involved in the production, distribution, sales and consumption of medicines in environmentally preferable practices.
Foster: community health by providing an opportunity to work together towards a common goal.
Provide: a proper pharmaceutical disposal system for each community.

What is the Program? – Students changing the world.

The Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal Program is a collaborative effort between students, communities, local pharmacies, police departments, hospitals, city officials, and more.

The purpose of the program is to educate the public about the harm done to the environment, and the misuse and abuse of pharmaceuticals due to the current prescription and non-prescription drug disposal practices world wide.

The mission of the program is to provide communities with a proper method of pharmaceutical disposal that effectively reduces the misuse and abuse of pharmaceuticals, as well as, ensures the quality of our water and wildlife for future generations.

Why is P2D2 Program Important?

Many pharmaceuticals are getting past our waste water treatment plants and getting into our drinking water.

Scientists with the United States Geological Society conducted a study of over 130 rivers, streams, and other waterways in the U.S. and found the following pharmaceuticals in over 80 percent of those tested.

Nearly 7 million Americans are abusing prescription drugs… which is more than the number who are abusing cocaine, heroin, Hallucinogens, ecstacy, and inhalents, combined.

That 7 million was just 3.8 million in 2000.

What could be in your water?

Antibiotics
Anti-depressants
Birth control pills
Seizure medication
Cancer treatments
Pain killers
Tranquilizers
Cholesterol-lowering compounds

Role of the Pharmacy

Individuals take their unused and unwanted prescription and non-prescription drugs to participating pharmacies.
Pharmacists take the pharmaceuticals and place them into secure bins. Please note that only licensed pharmacists and assistants handle the returned pharmaceuticals.
When the bins fill up, pharmacists send them off to be incinerated.
The company that incinerates the pharmaceuticals creates energy that is used to power homes and businesses.

Role of the Police Department

Individuals can take their unused and unwanted Class II controlled substances to local participating Police Departments.
The participating Police Department have a secure drop box that individuals can place their substances in – no questions asked.
The substances will be disposed of following proper police procedures.