Elizabeth Skoy, associate professor of pharmacy practice, recently was quoted in a Washington Post story about safely disposing of medication.
The article, “Drop boxes are making it easier to get rid of old medication,” by Laura Daily, appeared on March 14 in the newspaper’s “Wellness” section.
The article outlines how pharmacies, hospitals and law enforcement agencies have stepped up a year-round effort to help safely dispose of unused and expired medications. The article highlights the North Dakota state Board of Pharmacy’s Medsafe initiative, which provides medication take-back boxes to any pharmacy that wants one.
“In recent years, there’s been a spotlight on medication disposal, because of the opioid epidemic,” Skoy said in the story. “It’s important to get rid of any medication when you are done with it to prevent misuse or having it fall into the hands of others.”
The article also lists what can and cannot generally be disposed of in medication drop boxes and how to properly dispose of medicine in household trash.
Skoy says that opioids can be safely disposed of at home using specific over-the-counter products that are free at pharmacies. She also warns against hanging onto prescriptions for a rainy day and flushing medication down the toilet.
“North Dakota has been at the forefront of approaches to proper disposal through programs such as Medsafe disposal boxes and the ONE Program,” Skoy said. “It was an honor to contribute my expertise to help the public navigate what can sometimes be a confusing topic.”
Skoy joined the NDSU faculty in 2009. Among her accolades are the Chamber of Commerce NDSU Distinguished Faculty Service Award, Generation Rx Champion Award from the North Dakota Pharmacists Association and Cardinal Health, NDSU’s Excellence in Course Assessment Award, Laboratory Innovation and Teaching Excellence Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the College of Heath Professions’ Dean’s Award for Excellence in Service.
Skoy earned her bachelor’s degree and Doctorate of Pharmacy from NDSU.
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