Ideas for Marketing Your Disposal Program: there are a variety of events around the year with which you can coincide with your marketing efforts. Below are a few to get you started:

• Cleaning out the Medicine Cabinet, as part of
  • New Year's resolutions
  • Spring Cleaning
  • A Clean Sweep for Fall
• National Poison Prevention Week in March
• Earth Day in April
• American Pharmacists Month in October
• Halloween – an opportunity to educate parents on proper storage of medications and to reinforce that medicines are not candy
  • See tips for parents
• Official Proclamation: frequently local city councils or town hall boards will issue official proclamations drawing attention to worthwhile public service activities or events. Your participation in the NCPA Dispose My Meds Program is an ideal way to help expand public awareness of your pharmacy's commitment to public service. Having key officials publicly issue a proclamation can show members of your community that their elected leaders, like you, are committed to public safety, with the goal of getting unused or unneeded medications out of the household and properly disposed to help prevent their misuse or abuse. Consider contacting local officials you know and ask them to adopt a resolution, like the one below. If they do issue a supporting proclamation, don't forget to thank them, and you might want to get a copy to frame and display in your pharmacy.
• Congressional Visits – year round. Inviting your member of Congress or your state legislator to make a personal tour of your pharmacy makes a strong lasting impression and speaks volumes about our profession and our issues. It also establishes your position as a subject matter "expert" and a resource for the legislator. Please consider using this powerful tool and highlight your drug disposal program.

Materials for Download

• Choice of two designs to print:
  • Counter Card: Open the easel-back and display on your pharmacy counter
    • Dispose Here
    • TakeAway
  • Poster template: Hang the poster near the pharmacy where patients will return medications
    • Dispose Here
    • TakeAway
  • Window cling: Display for customers and patients as they enter the pharmacy
    • Dispose Here
    • TakeAway
       
• Designs to customize
  • Customize the ¼ page bag stuffer to distribute to your patients
  • Postcard template: Add your pharmacy logo and send to patients
  • Flyer template: Customize and provide to local businesses and organizations
  • Print ad template: Customize and provide to your local newspaper
  • Physician Outreach Letter: Copy to pharmacy letterhead and mail to local doctors’ offices
  • Physician Leave Behind Flyer: Customize and provide to local doctors’ offices to share with patients or use in community presentations
     
• Pitch Piece to Local Media: this can be used as a cover letter or correspondence to local media outlets such as the health reporter for a television station or newspaper
• Press Release: to distribute to local media to announce the program
  • Earth Day
  • Pharmacist's Month
  • Poison Prevention Week
• Letter to the Editor: to submit to your local newspaper as a reminder of how you are protecting your community and environment
  • Earth Day
  • Pharmacist's Month
• Presentation: Slides that you can customize and present to various pharmacy and community groups on this important issue