Drug Literature Lack Guidelines On Proper Disposal Method, AP Investigation Finds

Main Category: Pharmacy / Pharmacist
Also Included In: Public Health
Article Date: 17 Sep 2008 - 6:00 PDT

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U.S. residents are almost never instructed how to safely dispose of their unwanted medications, despite increasing evidence that medications flushed down the toilet can damage the environment and eventually reach drinking water supplies, according to an Associated Press investigation, the AP/Denver Post reports.

The AP contacted pharmacists around the U.S. to determine what they tell customers and reviewed the accompanying literature for the 50 most-dispensed prescription drugs in the U.S. According to IMS Health, the drugs reviewed were prescribed 1.1 billion times in 2007 and make up 28% of the national market.

The review found that none of the accompanying information -- much of which is produced or reviewed by FDA -- included federal drug disposal guidelines, which FDA helped develop, or any other type of step-by-step directions regarding medication disposal. According to the AP/Post, lack of space was the most common reason cited for not including disposal details on drug instructions.

Federal guidelines recommend mixing nearly all unwanted medications with coffee grounds or kitty litter and then putting the mix into the trash or using pharmaceutical takeback programs that allow residents to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal. The guidelines also state that 13 medicines, most of which are strong narcotics, should be flushed down a toilet to prevent illicit use.

However, federal agencies do not have a consistent message regarding whether to flush prescription drugs, according to the AP/Post. The Fish and Wildlife Service says "DO NOT FLUSH unused medications," while the Drug Enforcement Administration says there is no "safe, secure and reliable disposal system" for some narcotics (AP/Denver Post, 9/16).

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