John Holaday – Chairman and CEO, DisposeRX

Our Town with host Andy Ockershausen - Homegrown History

John Holaday on a new product that will make it possible to dispose of unused prescription drugs in a safe, convenient and effective way, that prevents their misuse for addiction, and that also prevents their pollution of the environment ~ "So. . .when you get a prescription for an opioid, it comes with a little packet. Same size as the one for the flowers. So, when you're through with the drug, instead of flushing them, which contaminates the environment, or instead of getting in your car and taking them to a pharmacy take back program, most pharmacies don't want them anyway, it's inconvenient, pour a little water into that prescription vial, halfway fill, add this powder, and then shake it up. Within 30 seconds it dissolves the pills and encased them in a polymer, . . . a gel, from which they cannot be extracted for abuse and they won't leech into landfills. It's biodegradable." John Holaday, Chairman and CEO DisposeRX - Our Town Guest Andy Ockershausen: This is Andy Ockershausen. This is Our Town. Of all the, over a hundred, guests that we've had on Our Town, we've interviewed the top to the bottom. Most have been recognizable names from sports, government, radio, television, newspaper, you name it. We've had a potpourri of guests. But this man has made such a major impact on Our Town. But, he's worked under the radar. His name is John Holaday. Not Johnny Holliday. Not our Johnny Holliday. I got it mixed up for a while, til Janice straightened me out. But, this John Holaday, he's a scientist, and entrepreneur, a former captain in the United States Army, an inventor, he's been CEO of several medical companies, and he's a friend of Our Town. We're so delighted to welcome John Holaday. John Holaday: Thanks so much Andy. What a pleasure to be here today. Andy Ockershausen: You will know when this program airs. I call our podcast radio without transmitter. We didn't pay for this. But, it's always there and it's ours and it's yours. Once it's done, it's out there forever. John Holaday: Right. Andy Ockershausen: Stay up there, cause I don't know how we get this. But John, welcome. You've done so much and it's under the radar. We're trying to open the radar up to you now, in some ways. You've done so much. Tell us about the John Holaday. Growing up, how did you get to the University of Alabama? John Holaday - Born in New York, Grammar School in Tennessee and College at the University of Alabama - Roll Tide John Holaday: Roll Tide. Born in New York, my father was a professor. Went down to Alabama, as the Chairman to the Department of Educational Psychology. So, three of us went to college there. Obviously went the benefit of having a father who was a professor there. Andy Ockershausen: He was on the faculty? John Holaday: He was on the faculty, yeah. It's tough to put three kids through school, but they had a break for faculty, in terms of the cost of tuition. Andy Ockershausen: You went to grammar school and so forth in Alabama? John Holaday: No, I went to grammar school in Tennessee. So, we moved from Tennessee to Alabama. Andy Ockershausen: He was a scientist. Correct? John Holaday: He was a professor of psychology, at the University of Tennessee. Andy Ockershausen: Oh, shrink! John Holaday: Uh, shrink. Yeah. Yep. Andy Ockershausen: And then he moved the family down south to Alabama. John Holaday: Down to Alabama. 1957. Andy Ockershausen: Wow! John Holaday: Yep. Andy Ockershausen: That's a long time ago John. John Holaday: I'm not a spring chicken, either. Andy Ockershausen: I know that. But you are in so many ways. You're young, and you're young at heart and that's important. Here you are on the University of Alabama campus and you go studying there. You're gonna be a graduate of the University. Correct? John Holaday: That's correct. Andy Ockershausen: Your father, obviously had ways to get you in school. John Holaday: Well, I think he must have helped in some way.