Marika Bierma
UW Class of 2022

This was my midterm PSA project for Honors Medical Ethics! I really enjoyed this course as a whole, and this assignment challenge me to think outside of the box in order to make the most valid arguments. The objective of this project was for groups of students to choose a controversial medical topic, to formulate a regulation, and to be able to defend the ethics behind that regulation. My group and I chose the topic of drug take-back programs, specifically in Washington state. We wanted to alter the current WA HB 1047 that was passed earlier this year. This bill proposes that all valid prescription drug take-back locations should have access to obtaining a collection box that is funded in whole by local pharmaceutical companies. We chose to challenge this bill by making take-back programs opt-out for all approved locations versus the current opt-in regulation. We argued that drug take-back programs nationwide have seen much success, and if the program is already being funded by local drug companies under the law, then it makes sense for every approved location to participate. The research and hard work put into this project was definitely worth it! On the left you can see the brochure that  we designed to hand out during our PSA.