Monday, April 30, 2012

A modest increase in upstate New York’s generic fill rate can bring major health care cost savings

Annual health care spending in upstate New York can be reduced by $500 million to $1 billion by increasing the percentage of all drug prescriptions that are filled with a generic by just a few points, according to a new fact sheet issued by Univera Healthcare.

“Last year in upstate New York, 72.1 percent of prescriptions were filled with a generic,” said Joel Owerbach, Pharm.D., vice president and chief pharmacy officer, Univera Healthcare. “Increasing that rate to 75.8 percent, which is the percentage in the combined Western New York and Finger Lakes region, would reduce annual health care spending by $500 million, and raising it to 80 percent would reduce health care spending in upstate New York by $1 billion.”

Raising the generic fill rate from the current 75.8 percent in the combined Western New York and Finger Lakes region to 80 percent, would reduce annual health care spending in the region by an estimated $315 million.

“At first glance, raising upstate New York’s generic fill rate from its 2010 level to the 75.8 percent benchmark that represents the upstate New York area with the highest generic fill rate may seem ambitious,” Owerbach noted, “but it’s by no means impossible.”

A historic overview of generic fill rates in upstate New York detailed in The Facts About Opportunities to Save With Generic Prescription Drugs shows that the generic fill rate has steadily risen in every upstate New York region between 2005 and 2010. In the combined Western New York and Finger Lakes region, for example, the generic fill rate grew from 56.7 percent in 2005 to 70.7 percent in 2008 and 75.8 percent in 2010. For the first eight months of 2011, the generic fill rate in the combined Western New York and Finger Lakes Region stood at 77.8 percent.

The upward trend in upstate New York’s generic fill rate is accompanied by another up shift — in the share of generic prescription drugs as a percent of all prescriptions written by physicians in upstate New York. Generic medicines represented 52.5 percent of all prescriptions written in 2005; the number was 72.1 percent in 2010. Brand-name drugs now make up a smaller portion of all prescriptions written in upstate New York (27.9 percent in 2010).

Some of the savings achieved through the growth in generic prescribing is offset by yet another turn, which reveals that the average cost of a brand-name drug has risen 73 percent during the past five years (from approximately $120 in 2006 to $208 in 2011) and 12 percent in the past year. Generic medicine costs, by contrast, on average decreased by 7.5 percent (from $19.63 in 2006 to $18.16 in 2011).

“Even though the cost of brand-name prescription drugs is higher, no less than 42 brand-name drugs either have or will become available as generics in 2011 and 2012,” pointed out Owerbach, “which easily can mean a 2-point to 4-point increase in the upstate New York generic fill rate.”

This year, the largest potential long-term prescription drug savings will come from LipitorĂ’, used to treat high cholesterol, which has 154,000 users in upstate New York. “When generic atorvastatin became available on November 30, 2011, that alone was expected to eventually offer an estimated $162.5 million annual savings opportunity,” said Owerbach.

In 2012, the largest potential long-term savings will come from PlavixĂ’, which has 80,000 upstate New York users, and SingulairĂ’, with 102,000 users. Added together, generic versions for these popular brand-name prescription drugs will save upstate New Yorkers more than $200 million annually.

“The fact that these three blockbuster prescription drugs already have or soon will be available as generics will certainly help move us toward the 80 percent generic fill rate mark,” commented Owerbach. “I believe greater public acceptance of generics and acknowledgement of their savings potential will also help fuel the trend.”

The Univera Healthcare report details specific action steps that upstate New Yorkers can take to bring the generic fill rate to 80 percent and thereby help save residents $1 billion in health care costs. Recommendations include:

· If you’re a health care consumer: Asking your doctor, pharmacist or nurse practitioner whether a generic drug alternative or option is right for you.

· If you’re a physician, member of a physician group or work in a hospital: Avoiding or reducing the use of brand-name drug samples, prescribing generics when appropriate and using e-prescribing to help identify lower-cost medications.

· If you’re an employer or belong to an employer coalition: Providing an employee drug benefit design that offers incentives to use lower-cost generics, helping people understand the value of generics, distributing informational materials and fostering community discussions on the importance of generics.

· If you’re a pharmacy: Frequently discussing generics with patients, alerting patients and physicians when new generics are available, working with patients and their prescribers to identify generic options and alternatives and providing low-cost generics programs where feasible.

· If you’re a health plan: Educating the community on the value of and savings opportunities available with generics; creating tools for employers, physicians and members to promote the use of generics; offering incentives for generic drug use through benefit design, copay differences and free generic trial programs; sending reminders and action plans to members who have opportunities to save with generics.

Univera Healthcare has educational materials and resources, including a consumer reference guide that lists available generic drug options for a variety of common conditions, available on its website, UniveraHealthcare.com. The reference guide is available at go.UniveraHealthcare.com/generics under “Tools and Resources.”

Univera Healthcare is a nonprofit health plan that is part of a family of companies financing and delivering health services for more than 1.8 million upstate New Yorkers. Based in Buffalo, the health plan serves more than 145,000 members across the eight counties that comprise Western New York.

Learn more about Univera Healthcare:

On the Web at http://www.univerahealthcare.com

On Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Univera_WNY

Or YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/Univerahealthcare

New Roswell Park ICU Unites State-of-the-Art Technology, Patient-Centered Design


Highlights of Intensive Care Unit include cutting-edge medical equipment, efficient use of space, natural design motifs

BUFFALO, NY — Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) unveiled a new Intensive Care Unit (ICU) that unites state-of-the-art technology with patient-centered design to support optimal care for those patients with the most sensitive medical needs. The design of the relocated unit was based on industry best practices and extensive input from RPCI’s clinical-operations team.

“The needs of our patients and their families guided this process from beginning to end,” said Donald L. Trump, MD, FACP, President and CEO. “We invested the time and effort to create a space that is calming and attractive, but also incorporates cutting-edge equipment and strategic design to enhance our ability to provide care effectively and efficiently. These features are essential extensions of the skill and the caring that our clinical staff provide, and great care can only happen when all these elements are present.”

The 8,000-square-foot unit, located on the eighth floor of RPCI’s main building, is 40 percent larger than RPCI’s existing ICU to accommodate for anticipated future growth.

The unit’s interior, designed by Laura Shoemaker, Senior Planner in RPCI’s Facilities and Planning Department, features natural motifs in warm, soothing earth tones, with circle and arc themes repeated throughout the space to convey connectedness and comfort. And, in accordance with New York State Department of Health requirements, each patient room features natural lighting, from large windows looking out on views of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus and downtown Buffalo.

The design also allows improved sight lines for enhanced visual monitoring of patients.

“Safety, adaptability and efficiency are the keys to this beautiful unit,” noted Maureen Kelly, RN, MS, Chief Nursing Officer. “From the multifunctional modular boom units and automated lifts to the accessible floor plan and zoned lighting design, every element of this ICU allows staff to work quickly but also anticipates the need for a high degree of attention and monitoring so we can provide the best care for our sickest patients.”

Friday, April 13, 2012

Compeer of Greater Buffalo Wins National Award

2012 Lilly Reintegration Award for Social Support will be given to honored Compeer senior services program on April 16 in Chicago

BUFFALO, N.Y., March 26, 2012-Compeer for Seniors, an older adult service of Compeer Greater Buffalo, is the winner of the 2012 Lilly Reintegration Award for Social Support, given this year in partnership with the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. The award presentation to Compeer Greater Buffalo will occur at the Celebration of Excellence Awards Dinner on Monday, April 16 at the Hilton Chicago, Chicago, Ill. Compeer Executive Director Michele Brown and Director of Senior Services Sarah Stimm will be guests at the celebration as part of the award.

Compeer for Seniors has been providing services to elders in Erie County since 1985. As a contract agency of the Erie County Department of Mental Health, Compeer is currently the largest provider of best practice and evidence-based friendship services to elders with a mental health diagnosis in Erie County. The agency provides a unique service to the community and is presently serving close to 100 seniors annually.

"We are thrilled to be recognized for our remarkable service which helps keep our aging seniors independent, healthy, and happy for as long as possible," said Brown. "This achievement signifies the value of our work in the community, and acknowledges the wonderful commitment of our program volunteers and the healing power of friendship."

The Reintegration Awards is a program supported since 1997 by Eli Lilly and Company. This annual award program celebrates the achievements of those in the community who dedicate themselves to improving the lives of individuals with serious mental illnesses. Winners receive a$10,000 grant, an inscribed trophy, airfare and hotel expenses for the awardee and a guest, and two complimentary tickets to the celebration.

For more on the celebration, visit:
www.thenationalcouncil.org/cs/reintegration_and_national_council_awards_of_excellence.

Founded in 1985, Compeer of Greater Buffalo (www.compeerbuffalo.org) began with the belief that "friendship is powerful medicine." Michele Brown, who started the Compeer program in Buffalo, is its Executive Director. Compeer matches professionally screened and trained volunteers and mentors in one-to-one friendship and mentoring relationships with children, adults, and seniors striving for good mental health. Compeer friends and mentors come from every walk of life. Volunteers make a significant and proven impact upon the lives of those they befriend by providing social support, being positive role models and helping engage their friend in a variety of different community and recreational activities. The ever-growing program currently has 4 different venues of volunteering: Compeer for Kids, Compeer for Adults, Compeer for Seniors, and a new service, Compeer Vet2Vet for military veterans.

The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare and its member organizations serve the nation's most vulnerable citizens- more than 6 million adults and children with mental illnesses and addiction disorders. Their website states they are committed to providing comprehensive, quality care that affords every opportunity for recovery and inclusion in all aspects of community life. (www.thenationalcouncil.org)

The National Council honors annually distinguished behavioral healthcare individuals and organizations that have set themselves apart through its Awards of Excellence - the most prestigious awards in behavioral healthcare. Honorees reflect the most innovative and inspirational work happening in behavioral healthcare organizations across the country - staff, board leadership, volunteers, consumers, families, and community partners who are changing the lives of children, adults, and families with mental illnesses and addiction disorders. Featured at the National Council Conference each spring, the Awards of Excellence celebration provides an opportunity for these honorees to be recognized by their peers and other distinguished guests.

In 2012, the National Council is also partnering with Lilly to run the Reintegration Awards program, which celebrates the achievements of those in the community who dedicate themselves to improving the lives of individuals with serious mental illnesses, and the achievements of those living with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder who battle tremendous odds to improve their own lives and the lives of their peers. The Reintegration Awards honor achievement in nine categories, including treatment teams, programs, and services that support people living with severe mental illness as well as local and national efforts to improve services and decrease the stigma of mental illness.



Thursday, April 12, 2012

Advantage Home Telehealth Launches Affiliate Program

April 12th, 2012, (Buffalo, NY) Advantage Home Telehealth (ADHT) announced today that it has established an Affiliate Program to rapidly expand the deployment of the company’s new state-of-the-art healthcare model which includes in-home telehealth, pharmacy and primary care services. The Affiliate Program is open to insurance companies, physician groups, hospitals, clinics, visiting nurse associations, and other health care providers interested in improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of their service to chronically ill, in-home patients. The ADHT system employs cutting edge wireless (non-tethered) and automated equipment for vital sign measurement, medication compliance, and general health condition data collection coupled with an around-the-clock clinical monitoring service, pharmacy and primary care. By simplifying the approach to home health care while expanding the ease with which information can be gathered, relayed, assessed, and communicated to health care professionals, the ADHT system gives patients greater confidence in the quality of their health care while simultaneously reinforcing their positive behaviors. ADHT’s experience with patients around the United States has shown that dramatic reductions in unscheduled hospital, emergency room, and doctors office visits is achieved – saving everyone time and money.

Brian Egan, ADHT’s founder and CEO, said: “We believe that the combination of our advanced medical home model which encompasses, telehealth, primary care and pharmacy services with committed professionals as affiliates will lead to the greatest impact on quality of patient care combined with significant reduction in expenses. We have already begun to establish affiliate arrangements with physician groups in several states including our most recent affiliate in Toledo, Ohio, and look forward to achieving complete coverage throughout the United States with this approach.”

Affiliates will have access to the company’s new medical home model, software, web portal, and Bluetooth enabled medical monitoring equipment that works on a Smart Phone or Touch Tablet for use by patients suffering from chronic conditions that can be monitored and treated at home such as diabetes, obesity, congestive heart disease, and others. ADHT staff will install and train patients on the proper use of the hardware and, following installation, measure blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, weight, blood glucose, and medication compliance. Additional monitoring capabilities are planned to be introduced in 2012. All data is collected automatically without wires or tethered cables and transmitted in real time, securely to a portal which is monitored 24/7 by medical personnel. In addition, the ADHT technology offers expanded capabilities for dietary recommendations, exercise program monitoring, video conferencing and other proactive healthy lifestyle programs.

The InVentures Group (IVG), a leading Buffalo-based consulting firm, was hired by ADHT to assist in developing the new affiliate business model and identifying new opportunities for growth and profitability. InVentures’ CEO, Keith Blakely remarked, “We are excited by the significant progress that ADHT has made in the past six months . They are developing and demonstrating a new healthcare model that is being embraced enthusiastically by the user community. There is no doubt that this is the direction that healthcare is moving in – better patient care, reduced costs, and improved outcomes through the use of personalized technology and seamless integration of services - and we are excited to be assisting Brian and his team in leading the industry forward. We are convinced that ADHT is on the fast track to a successful future and one that others will soon look to emulate.”

About ADHT: Based in Buffalo, NY, ADHT’s mission is to become a leading provider of telehealth and telemedicine applications and services. The company’s ultimate goal is to improve the quality of health for people with chronic health conditions and to keep people healthy.

About The InVentures Group: (http://www.theinventuresgroup.com): The InVentures Group partners with entrepreneurs, innovators, and executives in corporate organizations to help them achieve success. The company collaborates with organizations of all sizes, in any stage of development, to create self-sustaining and profitable businesses while maintaining each company's unique culture and personality. InVentures is staffed by successful entrepreneurs and executives who share the passion of their clients and offer technical, strategic, business, and financial services to maximize results in the most cost-effective manner possible. A complete list of the services offered can be found on their website.

For further information contact Brian Egan at 716-218-7169 or began@advtelehealth.com. Advantage Home Telehealth, Inc. is located at 640 Ellicott Street, Suite 400, Buffalo NY 14203. Learn more at http://www.advtelehealth.com.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Buffalo Hearing and Speech Student Symposium Series


Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center is proud to present our 2012 “In the Field”  Speech Student Symposium Series.  This year the presentation will focus on:

Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorders:
Utilizing the DIR/Floortime Approach in Therapy

Friday, April 27 5:30-7:30 pm

Presenting an opportunity for students to hear from speech-language pathologists working in the field. Students will walk away with ready-to-use techniques for intervention and have an opportunity to win great therapy materials!  

All speech undergraduate or graduate students are encouraged to attend this FREE event which takes place on Friday, April 27 from 5:30-7:30 pm, and includes pizza, tours, talks with speech and language pathologists, hands-on therapy demonstrations, and more. The event takes place at Buffalo Hearing and Speech Center, 50 East North Street, Buffalo, NY 14203.

If you have any questions, please contact Amy Bamrick at 716.885.8871 ext. 2240 or abamrick@askbhsc.org or Steve Miller at 716.885.8871 ext. 2289 or smiller@askbhsc.org


Training for HHS Providers and Outreach Workers

The CHWNB is offering a four day, intensive training for those working in diverse settings in urban Buffalo as health and human service providers, community organizers, and outreach workers(please note: participants should be frontline workers in community based settings serving in a direct service capacity). Trainees will learn how to assist individuals, families, and communities in moving from being simply receivers of services, to active participants in their personal and community level health and well being.

Knowledge base and skill set will include: basics of health care/public health/social determinants of health, history of CHWs and community-based care, informal counseling, confidentiality and ethics, cultural competency, strengths-based approaches to working with individuals/families/communities, navigating healthcare & social service systems, facilitating behavior change, adult learning, and community education.

The four day training will be offered on April 17/18 and May 1/2 from 9am-4pm. Location TBA. Registration is on a first come/first serve basis and is limited to two registrants per organization. Training fee is $30/person (we gratefully acknowledge support from the Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York, which allows us to keep this fee nominal). To reserve a spot, please e-mail your name and contact info to: info@chwbuffalo.org.




Thursday, April 5, 2012

Western New York Summit on Aging and Independence

Erie County Senior Services, Niagara County Office for the Aging and Western New York Independent Living will host the Western New York Summit on Aging and Independence on May 17, 2012 at the Buffalo Marriott, Millersport Hwy, Amherst, N.Y.

The mission of the one day Summit is to identify, examine and evaluate initiatives addressing emerging issues in research, public policy, and service delivery impacting the needs of the elderly and people with disabilities in the region. What is being done? Why it’s being done? What will be the impact?

The keynote presenter will be Kenneth Garbarino, M.D., Medical Director of Kaleida Health’s Geriatric Center of Western New York at DeGraff Hospital. He is a clinical associate professor in the Division of Geriatrics at the SUNY at Buffalo.

Presentations will include innovative advances in:

• Developing inclusion programs that incorporate age groups, disabled and non-disabled, rural and urban and culturally diverse populations.

• Enhancing and integrating systems for dissemination of resources and services.

• Diagnosing and treating the most prevalent diseases among the elderly and people with disabilities.

• Initiatives promoting healthy living, injury prevention and emotional, social and psychological issues associated with aging and disability.

• Responding to the needs of a growing population of elderly and people with disabilities.

• Application of affordable technologies that support independence.

Visit www.summitonagingwny.org for details.





Monday, April 2, 2012

Jindo Martial Arts Students Raise $1562.00 for Variety Kids Telethon



Tonawanda, NY – On March 17th members of Jindo Martial Arts held their 2nd Annual M.A.C. Inter-School Tournament. The event not only allowed the students to exhibit their forms and sparring skills but also their charitable skills as well. The culmination of the fun filled afternoon was the presenting of the check for the Variety Kids Fundraiser for the amount of $1562. The Variety Kids Children’s Charity of Buffalo and Western New York is known for its support of the Robert Wagner M.D. Center for Children With Special Needs and The Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. A member of Jindo Martial Arts, Grace Croop, is a past Variety Kids Celebrity Child, making the school’s participation in the event even more memorable.

To learn more about Jindo Martial Arts call Lisa Susko at 716-870-2971 or email her at LSusko@JindoMartialArts.com. Visit www.JindoMartialArts.com.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

WNY rural care transitions consortium


WNY Rural Care Transitions Consortium Selected for the CMS Community-based Care Transitions Program

A consortium of 10 hospitals and eight community-based organizations led by the P2 Collaborative of Western New York has been selected among the first 30 organizations around the nation to participate in the Community-based Care Transitions Program (CCTP). The announcement was made by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on March 14, 2012.

Through the CCTP, community-based organizations will form partnerships with hospitals to help patients transition to home and reduce hospital readmissions.

The CCTP is an initiative of the Partnership for Patients, a nationwide public-private partnership launched in April 2011 that aims to cut preventable errors in hospitals by 40 percent and reduce preventable hospital readmissions by 20 percent over a three-year period. CCTP’s goals are to reduce hospital readmissions, test sustainable funding streams for care transition services, maintain or improve quality of care, and document measureable savings to the Medicare program.

“We are very pleased that our WNY consortium was selected to take part in this groundbreaking initiative,” said Shelley Hirshberg, executive director of the P2 Collaborative of Western New York. “The P2 Collaborative is thrilled to have this opportunity to work with its rural partners in seven of the eight counties of Western New York to improve quality of care for patients making the transition from hospital to home.”

The WNY Rural Care Transitions Consortium will build upon an existing regional effort around Care Transitions Intervention, the evidence-based model developed by Dr. Eric Coleman, professor of medicine at the University of Colorado. The Consortium will serve more than 2,600 Medicare patients per year.

The 10 participating hospitals include:

  • Brooks Memorial Hospital, Dunkirk, NY
  • Jones Memorial Hospital, Wellsville NY
  • Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center, Niagara Falls, NY
  • Olean General Hospital, Olean, NY
  • Orleans Community Health, (Medina Memorial Hospital), Medina, NY
  • TLC Health Network Lake Shore Health Care Center, Irving, NY
  • United Memorial Medical Center, Batavia, NY
  • Westfield Memorial Hospital, Westfield, NY
  • WCA Hospital, Jamestown, NY
  • Wyoming Community Hospital, Warsaw, NY

The community-based organizations that will coordinate this effort include:

  • Allegany County Office for Aging, Belmont, NY
  • Cattaraugus County Department of the Aging, Olean, NY
  • Chautauqua County Office for the Aging, located in Mayville, Dunkirk and Jamestown, NY
  • Community Concern of WNY, Inc., Derby, NY
  • The Dale Association, Lockport, NY
  • Genesee County Office for the Aging, Batavia, NY
  • Orleans County Office for the Aging, Albion, NY
  • Wyoming County Office for the Aging, Warsaw, NY

The consortium identified eligible patients for this program after conducting a thorough root cause analysis that included review of hospital readmissions data, chart reviews and patient and partner interviews. All counties will provide care transitions services for Medicare Fee-For-Service patients who are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days of a previous hospitalization.

In addition, nine of the ten participating hospitals will flag specific high readmission conditions like Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Pneumonia and Diabetes.

Assisting the P2 Collaborative and its partners in securing funding from Section 3026 of the Affordable Care Act for care transition services to effectively manage Medicare patients' transitions and improve their quality of care, the Community Health Foundation of Western and Central New York supported the development of the application to CMS through grant funding and expertise provided by its advisors.

The Foundation has worked for more than six years to support organizations in their mission to improve care transitions for elders, focusing on building more effective partnerships between health care providers and caregivers to improve continuity, reduce errors and delays and increase the amount of control patients and their caregivers have over health decisions.

For more information on the WNY Rural Care Transitions Consortium, contact the P2
Collaborative of Western New York at (716) 580-3680.


Autism Costs Soar To $137 Billion


The following article appeared in Disability Scoop
By 
Autism is costing society $137 billion annually, according to new estimates
that suggest a three-fold increase in less than a decade.
The figure comes from preliminary findings of a new analysis of the
economic impact of autism. The results of the Autism Speaks-funded
study are expected to be presented Saturday at a conference in Hong
Kong.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and the London School
of Economics reviewed multiple studies looking at the costs of education,
health care and other needs of those with autism to come up with the new
estimates.
They found that lifetime care for an individual with autism who also has
intellectual disability runs $2.3 million in the U.S. on average. For those
on the spectrum without intellectual disability, they calculated $1.4 million
in lifetime expenses.
Based on newly-released prevalence estimates suggesting that autism
affects 1 in 88 U.S. children, the researchers found that the developmental
disability is costing society $137 billion each year. That’s a significant
increase over a 2007 study in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent
Medicine which pegged autism’s yearly impact in the U.S. to be closer
to $35 billion.
The majority of the costs associated with autism over the lifetime occur
in the adult years, the new analysis suggests. Specifically, funding
residential care for those with autism who are often unemployed or
underemployed adds up.
“We are paying for the costs of inaction and the costs of ‘inappropriate
action,’” said David Mandell of the University of Pennsylvania, who is
behind the research. “Social exclusion of individuals with autism and
intellectual disability, and exclusion of higher-functioning individuals
from employment opportunities are increasing the burden not only on
these individuals and their families, but on society as a whole.”

University at Buffalo Police Department Installs the First Permanent Prescription Drug Drop Box in Western New York


BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo Police Department is the first police agency in Western New York and the first university in New York State to place a permanent “drop box” in their police department headquarters for citizens to safely dispose of expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs.
“The University at Buffalo has been participating in the national take-back days for several years,” said University at Buffalo Police Chief Gerald W. Schoenle. “However, we wanted to provide a safe and secure place where our community members could go at any time to dispose of these drugs and not wait months for a special day.”
UB’s round-the-clock collection site will be at the university Police Department HQ Building at Bissell Hall on the North Campus. UB Police expects to set up a second site on UB’s South Campus later this spring.
Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are increasing at alarming rates, especially for young adults who report they can easily obtain prescription pills from medicine cabinets in their own and other people’s homes.
The University Police starting looking into this type of program after Schoenle saw a demonstration at the International Chiefs of Police (IACP) Conference last year by the MedReturn Company, a company which sells the secure Drug Collection Units.
Although MedReturn has many units throughout the country, the UB Police site at Bissell Hall is the first one in New York State. An agency must comply with certain legal requirements before starting such a program. The effort was a collaborative effort between UB Police, the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, the Student Health Center, Erie County Department of Environment and Planning and the Erie County Department of Health.
Frank Scarpinato of the Erie County Department of Environment and Planning hopes that other police departments throughout Erie County will soon follow the lead set by UB.
Cheryll Moore, community coalition coordinator for the Erie County Department of Health, helped UB Police in obtaining the Sharps collection box provided by the Health Department.
Local Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials have scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take Back Day 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sat., April 28. Collection sites including those on the UB campus will be announced in March.
Americans participated in the DEA’s third National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Oct. 29, 2011, turned in more than 377,086 pounds (188.5 tons) of unwanted or expired medications for safe and proper disposal at the 5,327 take- back sites available in all 50 states and U.S. territories.
“The students and faculty from our school have been working on drug disposal programs with the DEA for several years,” said Karl Fiebelkorn, associate dean at UB’s School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences
Inspector Daniel Jay, commander of the UB Police Criminal Investigation section, is coordinating this project for the University Police. UB Police Investigations will be responsible for the drug and needle destruction.
“Prescription drug abuse is a major problem on college campuses,” said Jay. “This is a new way to dispose of your unused or unwanted medication in a legal safe manner. This new program will take drug disposal efforts to a new level.”
Schoenle spoke with Gil Kerlikowske, U.S. director of National Drug Control Policy, about this program when he was at UB in October. Kerlikowske expressed his support of UB’s proposed program, noting that proposed legislation will allow other sites to collect prescription drugs besides law enforcement agencies.
“We anticipate that several other police agencies will take up this very worthwhile initiative,” Schoenle said. “Not only does this program help with the prescription drug abuse problem, this is also in keeping with UB’s Green initiatives in keeping drugs out of our landfills and waterways.”