UB, Jacobs to distribute drug-deactivation pouches

In an effort to reduce the availability of unused prescription drugs to people struggling with addiction, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is partnering with the office of New York Sen. Chris Jacobs to distribute thousands of Deterra Drug Deactivation Systems throughout Western New York.

“Prescription drug abuse is a major contributor to the heroin and opioid crisis that continues to plague our community, state and nation,” says Jacobs, who for the past two years co-chaired the senate’s Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction.

“By providing a safe and environmentally friendly way for people to dispose of their unused medications, we are taking a significant amount of dangerous drugs out of circulation that might otherwise have been misused after falling into the wrong hands.”

The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences had secured 20,000 of the drug-deactivation systems in conjunction with its student-led safe drug disposal programs.

“It is vitally important we continue to remove dangerous unused or expired opioids that families might have in their household,” says Karl D. Fiebelkorn, senior associate dean for student, professional and community affairs at the pharmacy school. “We need to protect the elderly from adverse incidents, accidental poisoning of young children and overdoses from inquisitive adolescents.”

Adds Pharmacy Dean James M. O‘Donnell: “The significant work being undertaken by professor Fiebelkorn and our students to combat the opioid crisis is critical to the health and safety of our Western New York community. We look forward to working with Sen. Jacobs and other community leaders to help educate patients about this important outreach effort.”

United Kingdom-based Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals provided the easy-to-use drug-deactivation systems as an extension of its commitment to aid in the fight against opioid abuse.

Rather than flushing medications down a toilet, where they can pollute waterways, or leaving them in a medicine cabinet, unused pills, patches or liquid medications can be placed into the pouch, along with warm water. After 30 seconds, the medications are deactivated. The pouches can then be disposed of in normal trash removal, making them safer for landfills, as well as directly removing unwanted pharmaceuticals from potential misuse or abuse.

Jacobs says his office will mail the pouches to any resident who requests them, and they also will be available at his “Senator on Your Street” community office hours that are held monthly in each town in his 60th senate district.

In addition, drug-deactivation systems will be available at free Narcan training events Jacobs is sponsoring on Feb. 19 at the North Buffalo Community Center, and on Feb. 20 at the Brighton Volunteer Fire Company No. 5 in the Town of Tonawanda, as well as at community events like the Senior Scam Prevention Seminars that Jacobs sponsors throughout the area.

“I want to commend the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, their students and administrators for their leadership and the active role they are playing in combatting the opioid crisis in our community,” Jacobs says. “I look forward to partnering with them to save lives in our community while protecting our environment.”