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CD-ROM Today (UK) (Spanish) 15
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02076.txt
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1994-01-17
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$Unique_ID{BRK02076}
$Pretitle{}
$Title{Environmentally Correct Methods for the Disposal of Medications}
$Subject{disposing medications medication disposals pharmacy Food and Drug
Administration FDA Environmental Agency chemicals sewage treatment plants
plastic vials syringes syringe hypodermic needles hypodermic needle land fills
pharmacy container environment environmental issues medical waste disposal
prescription drugs}
$Volume{}
$Log{}
Copyright (c) 1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
Environmentally Correct Methods for the Disposal of Medications
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QUESTION: I have a question that I believe will interest your readers. What
is the best way to dispose of old medications? I have quite a bit from my
recently deceased father. Is it better to flush it all down the toilet to end
up in a lake somewhere, or to dispose of the meds with the trash, either in or
out of the pharmacy container, to end up in a land fill? Thank you for your
help.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ANSWER: I did indeed find this question interesting, and am sure many readers
have faced the same problem. As a physician, my concerns are always with
prescribing the medicines, not disposing of them. I always try to give just
the right amount, so if taken properly, there would be none left to dispose
of. In search of an answer, I began calling some of my authoritative sources.
The folks at the Food and Drug Administration didn't help too much, so I tried
the offices of the U.S. Environmental Agency, and there I hit pay dirt. Here
is the information I gained from that conversation. The amounts of active
chemicals left in your Father's medications are considered to be quite small.
Since all material flushed down the toilet will be dealt with in sewage
treatment plants, it was felt that there would be nothing left that might
cause any problems in the environment. So you have that option open to you.
However the recommendations on disposing of medications by placing them in the
trash were a bit more specific. The medications still represent a danger to
animals or children who might recover the pills from a trash bag. The advice
was to place all material, medications, plastic vials, and syringes and
particularly any thing that was sharp (like hypodermic needles) into a tin
can, an empty coffee can for example. Then carefully and securely tape the
cover in place, so that it can not be easily opened. You may put this sealed
can into your trash bag, for it may be appropriately deposited in a land fill
without endangering our troubled Earth.
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
problem.