“It’s becoming a common way to package meds for our patients,” he says of participants he’s been serving on behalf of Care Resources since 2009.Īdditional tips on how to avoid errors include: While some people dispense meds from individual containers, many are resorting to “adherence packaging,” which relies on accurately marked pouches or blister packs to bundle meds so that patients get the right dose at the right time, every time. Of equal importance is organizing your meds, and there are a variety of ways to do so. “We need to know exactly what they’re taking and how they’re taking it,” says Hoholik, “so they don’t experience any problems that are going to have them end up in emergency health care.” Taking a dose more or less often than a person is supposed to can result in adverse effects like low or high blood pressure, dangerous blood-sugar levels and more. “That’s a great way to start,” says Hoholik, emphasizing that such information can help medical providers like himself best serve patients going forward.īut it’s also vital that patients be honest in reporting how often they’re actually taking a medicine, since some people will intentionally or accidentally not take them as prescribed – anything from pain meds to insulin to what’s in their inhaler. When someone joins Care Resources, a community-based program for people 55 years or older, it’s crucial for them to share an accurate list of meds they’re taking, how often they’re taking them and where they’re getting them from. “One of my pharmacy school professors used to say that even arsenic is a natural product,” Hoholik notes. He points out that mistakes also occur when patients aren’t aware of the risks associated with how a drug might interact with another they’re already taking, and that includes products labeled as “natural,” “herbal” or “supplemental.” “In the pharmaceutical world, medication errors come in a wide variety – wrong medication, wrong dose, drugs with similar names, a drug not monitored correctly and even wrong patients receiving the drug.” “That goes not only for prescription drugs, but over-the-counter products as well. “Any kind of error can result in adverse effects,” says Aaron Hoholik, a clinical pharmacist with Care Resources in Grand Rapids. The good news is this: With attention to detail and being honest about how you use meds, it’s possible to safeguard yourself against blunders that can affect your health.

(Courtesy, Care Resources)īut when it comes to errors regarding the medications you take, the consequences can be serious or even deadly. Pharmacist Aaron Hoholik showing participant Carol a pill organizer for her medication. The Kent County Department of Public Works provides municipal solid waste disposal services to ensure the effective removal, storage and disposal of residential and commercial solid waste through various facilities and programs, including Waste-to-Energy, the Recycling and Education Center, North Kent Transfer Station and South Kent Landfill. Organic waste like branches, leaves and garden plants can be provided through a local waste hauler. If a garage clean-out is on your fall to do list, household hazardous waste can be brought to any of the DPW’s SafeChem locations throughout the county for free responsible disposal. The DPW offers tips for what to do with Halloween costumes and wigs, sweaters and coats, as well as clothing that’s been outgrown by children. If an item can’t be recycled, there are other options for residents to avoid contributing to the landfill. Items like soup and broth cartons, rigid plastics and metal cans and tins for pie filling, also can be recycled. In the fall, the DPW tends to see items like cider jugs, paper cups and cartons, certain plastics and cardboard boxes end up in the trash when they could be placed in curbside recycling bins and eventually repurposed. “We’re proud of our community’s commitment to recycling and reducing waste all year-round.” “The fall season and fall holidays can bring about a lot of waste, from food containers to costumes to decorations, so it’s important Kent County residents are knowledgeable about what can be recycled and put to better use than sitting in a landfill,” said Micah Herrboldt, waste reduction educator at the DPW.

The guide also includes tips for properly recycling or disposing of material that can’t go in a recycling bin, but can still be kept out of a landfill like leaves, pool chemicals and clothing. The 2023 Fall Recycling Guide is part of the DPW’s efforts to familiarize Kent County residents with items that can be placed in their recycling bins to move toward the goal of reducing landfill waste by 90 percent by 2030. By WKTV Kent County Department of Public Works (DPW) has launched its fall recycling guide to help residents ensure recyclable and hard to dispose of materials don’t end up in a landfill this fall.

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