End of Year Medical Disposal

[coughdrop.2.go, BSN, RN]

How does your school/District dispose of un-picked up medication at the end of the year? Do you use a mail-back system or do you have a medication drop off place in your area? I know in my State, California, only parents or an adult-designee by the parent can pick up or drop off medications so I cannot give them back to the student or mail them home.

[schooldistrictnurse]

Our MAR states clearly at the bottom, all meds left after the last day of school will be disposed of. As we near the end of the year, the secretaries try very hard to catch parents as they come in for this or that and return what they can, leaving just enough til the end of the year. An email goes out to remind parents to stop in for epi pens and other prn meds. Most building secretaries in all honesty keep epi pens over the summer if they know the student will be back and the item isn't out dating.

[OldDude]

I used to send out reminders and make phone calls and found out I still had a bunch of stuff leftover. I don't do anything now and don't have any more left over than when I jumped through hoops. I leave everything as it is until I start the next school year. Then, if it goes unclaimed I dispose of it. I was gonna say flush it but you can't do that anymore . There is a drop off site provided by the city now.