1 kohrell wi overview get the old meds out workshop 5 19 2010
1. Mary Kohrell Community Development Educator, Calumet County University of Wisconsin - Extension
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Editor's Notes
Growth in participation over time, with spikes in the spring, consistent to survey results that indicate increased awareness of this issue over time. Spring 2008 spike coincides with major AP media coverage that was picked up in all local newspapers in service region, and many of the local TV stations.
Physicians and pharmacists have been most rapidly growing source of info. It is difficult to get TV coverage of this topic.
Participants have gotten younger over time
Partnership with Capital Returns
Survey respondents were more educated and wealthier than the general populations, but results were considered representative Survey asked about a number of issues: 1. people’s current understanding of the whole topic of leftover medications; 2. their current and past practices with respect to leftover meds; 3. their likelihood of participating in a number of program types (one-day, permanent, pharmacy, mail back), and 4. their sources of info on this topic.
Chart shows the percentage of people in each population (Mailback, COW and WW) who correctly answered the factual question. Note that the blue bar (Mailback program participants) is consistently (and statistically significantly) greater than the orange and red bars. Mail-Back Program participants had significantly greater knowledge of unused med issues than those in COW and WW random samples
Reported disposal practices have changed substantially according to this sample of respondents. Significantly lower percentages of people report disposing of unused meds by: placing them in their garbage as is flushing them down their toilets pouring them down their sinks The large increase in those reporting that they used medical collection programs is not a good indicator of behavior because one of the study populations was composed of households who had self-selected to participate in a mail-back collection program. Substantial proportions of respondents report that they currently place unused meds in the garbage (either as is or in an altered state) and store these products indefinitely in their home.
Interestingly, the pharmacy return program is, in essence, an on-going drop off program. So, it is unclear why the pharmacy return program was substantially lower than the on-going drop off program. Participants in the mail-back program were significantly more likely to say they were likely or very likely to participate in such a program if available. They were less likely to participate in one-time drop-off programs and more uncertain about participating in an on-going drop-off program or a program in which unused meds would be returned to the pharmacy. Comparing the two random samples, those in the Calumet-Outagamie-Waupaca sample were significantly more likely to participate in one-time drop off programs and those in the Winnebago-Waukesha sample more likely to participate in on-going and pharmacy-based programs.
No single information source reached a majority of participants. Information from TV and newspapers are more than twice as popular as sources of information than any other source in the figure. About one-quarter reported never having received any information about disposal of unused meds.
These conclusions are based on these three samples. They may not accurately reflect conditions in other parts of Wisconsin or elsewhere in the US. People are confused generally about why we do this; 2. mail back people were better educated and essentially more sophisticated; 3. better practices over time; 4. these populations are difficult to reach 5. 5because none of the info sources about which we asked was cited as their source of info about unused meds by as much as 40% of sample. One-quarter said they’ve never received any info about this topic.
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