Operation Pill Drop - Peachtree City and Fayetteville

Take-back event offers the public a safe and secure way to dispose of their medications.


Peachtree City:

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Safe Kids of Georgia, and the Peachtree City Police Department are sponsoring an Operation Pill Drop location in Peachtree City on September 25th, 2010, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The event will be held in the parking lot of K-Mart, located in the Braelinn Village Shopping Center at 400 Crosstown Drive, Peachtree City, GA.

This is a prescription drug take-back event where the public can dispose of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications to keep them out of the wrong hands. Operation Pill Drop offers the public a free, anonymous, and convenient option for disposing these medications to protect their families and the environment. Unintentional poisoning from prescription medications is on the rise. Every year, over 2 million poison exposures are reported in the U.S. In 2009, over 51% of reported poisonings in Georgia, involved children ages 5 and under.

Please note that Operation Pill Drop cannot accept needles/sharps, syringes with needles, thermometers, IV bags, bloody or infectious waste, personal care products, empty containers, inhalers, medical equipment or hydrogen peroxide.

For more information, visit www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov or www.safekidsgeorgia.org.

Fayette County Sheriff's Office, Fayetteville: 

The Fayette County Sheriff Office has partnered with the Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and other government, community, public health and law enforcement partners to announce a nationwide prescription drug “Take-Back” initiative that seeks to prevent increased pill abuse and theft.

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office will be collecting potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs for destruction on Saturday, September 25th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, 155 Johnson Avenue, Fayetteville, Georgia. The service is free and anonymous; there are no questions asked or paperwork required. Participants in this initiative are simply asked to bring there unused or unwanted prescription drugs to this location where they can be destroyed.

The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office will have a “drive-though” type setup in the Sheriff’s Office Parking lot on Johnson Avenue nearest to South Jeff Davis Drive. Participants can drive through and not get out of their car.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are increasing at alarming rates, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, many Americans do not know how to properly dispose of their unused medicine, often flushing them down the toilet or throwing them away – both potential safety and health hazards. You can make your home safe and strengthen your community by participating in this nationwide prescription take-back program.
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Whitewater High Top Student Carter Selected to Attend Medical Forum

A student’s dreams of becoming a doctor are getting closer to reality.

Volisa Carter, an 11th grader at Whitewater High, has her goals set on becoming a neonatal intensive care doctor. She was notified in March that she has been invited to attend a medical program that is only offered to the top one percent of high school students in the country.

The National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine is a 10-day program that introduces students with an interest in medicine to all aspects of the medical field. Participants have the opportunity to interact with professionals from some of the nation’s top medical centers and faculty from renowned institutions of learning.

Students cannot apply to the program; instead they must be nominated by a teacher or through voluntary precollege surveys. The Forum on Medicine first became aware of Volisa through the Student Search Service of the College Board.

“She meets the high standards we set to qualify as a nominee. Fewer than one percent of all high-achieving high school students are presented with this opportunity,” says Dr. Shashin Doshi, senior councilor to the National Youth Leadership Form on Medicine.

When Volisa learned about the invitation, she says she had mixed emotions.

“I was excited and scared at the same time. Excited because I never know that I was intelligent enough to stay up there with the geniuses of our nation. Scared because it costs a lot of money, and money in my family is very tight,” she explains.

Volisa’s life has had its obstacles. Her father died when she was five and her aunt has been raising her ever since.

“She has sacrificed a lot to get me through school. I am so appreciative of everything she has done for me,” Volisa says.

Despite her hardships, Volisa has managed to persevere, excelling in school and as a community volunteer. When she is not studying, she volunteers her time through the Fayette Family YMCA Leaders Club, a nonprofit organization that gives back to the community by sending volunteers to assist with various events. She received the Kristin Turner Spirit of Volunteerism Award in 2008 for her work with the club.

Besides giving her insight into her chosen career field, Volisa is hoping that the Forum on Medicine will help her land some needed scholarships so that she can fulfill her dream. The only thing standing in her way is money.

Volisa organized several fundraisers that netted nearly $500, but fell far short of the $2,600 needed to attend the program.

“We didn’t have much of a result because money is tight for everyone right now. I still hope that somehow I will be able to raise the remaining funds so I can take advantage of this great opportunity,” she says.

The Forum on Medicine is being held at Emory University June 21-30. Anyone interested in making a donation to help Volisa pay tuition costs can do so through Whitewater High School by contacting Mary Giles, bookkeeper, 770-460-3935.

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Hospice Advantage Fayetteville Dr. Sams Earns Certification

Hospice Advantage of Fayetteville is please to announce that Ferrol Sams, III, MD has passed the 2009 Hospice and Palliative Medicine Certification Examination from the Board of Internal Medicine. As a result of this performance, Dr Sams will be awarded a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ).The American Board of Family Medicine, in a joint venture with the American Board of Internal Medicine and eight other ABMS specialty boards, offers a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in Hospice & Palliative Medicine.

“This CAQ is designed to recognize excellence among certified family physicians who emphasize the care of seriously ill and dying patients with life-limiting illnesses in their practice. The field of hospice and palliative medicine is based on expanding scientific knowledge about symptom control when cure is not possible and appropriate care during the last months of life.”

The Hospice Advantage office recently received deficiency free surveys from the State. The certification of Dr. Sams is a solid confirmation of the excellence in hospice care that the Hospice Advantage organization is committed to delivering to area residents needing end of life care.

Dr. Sams is understandably proud of his recent accomplishment. "This is a great achievement. Hospice Advantage has a history of excellence, but it is very gratifying when our quality care, comfort, and compassion are validated by outside sources" said Dr. Sams.

Dr. Ferrol Sams III is the Medical Director for the Fayetteville office.

For more information please contact Hospice Advantage at 1-800-HOSPICE.

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