Proper Disposal Of Unused Medications
by Richard Holt, PharmD
In the ever growing field of Pharmacy and as the population continues to grow we will experience more and more "wasting" of medication. Patients will be started and discontinued on numerous medications over and over again. The question arises as to what should be done with the medications that are no longer needed.
Like most people, the answer is to throw away the un-needed medication or flush it down the
drain. Flushing these medications down the drain have resulted in our water supplies becoming tainted with them to detectable levels. Therefore, the newest guidelines from Drug Topics, September 3, 2007, page 22 are as follows: "Take unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers. Mix the prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, such as coffee grounds or cat litter. Put the mixture in an empty can or sealable bags and throw in the trash. Some drugs particularly prone to diversion should be flushed, including Actiq, Daytrana Transdermal Patch, Duragesic Transdermal System, Oxycontin, Baraclude tablets, Avinza capsules, Reyataz capsules, Tequin tablets, Zerit for Oral Solution, meperidine HCl tablets, Percocet, Xyrem, and Fentora." Also, some states have some "re-cycling" programs associated with un-used medications so please speak to your Pharmacist to determine if that is an available option in your location.
For more information on this and other pharmacy / healthcare information please go to: http://www.theprescriptionlist.com
About the Author
Dr. Holt is a practicing Pharmacist in New York and Florida State. He obtained his Bachelor of Science, Pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Albany College of Pharmacy, Albany, NY in 1999 and 2000, respectively. He has performed lab and field research and has had two articles published regarding his research. He has also developed his own pharmacy / healthcare website in an attempt to further educate people.