Safe Medicine Disposal Urged

By Nancy K. Crevier

A free medicine disposal event sponsored jointly by the State of Connecticut Drug Control division of the Department of Consumer Protection and Big Y Supermarket in Tolland this fall, with funding from the Community Pharmacy Foundation, was the second of two pilot programs held in the state this year to assist the public in safely getting rid of unused over-the-counter and prescription drugs, said drug control division director John Gadea. Another medicine disposal event was held earlier this year in conjunction with CVS Pharmacy in Simsbury.

According to a release from the Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection, and information provided by the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc, outdated and unused medications and medical waste is being improperly discarded at a rate that risks contamination of the soil and water supplies.

Studies have shown low levels of drug contamination in the environment because of careless and uneducated disposal of drugs, said Mr Gadea.

“These medicine disposal events are a good way to get drugs out of people’s houses in a friendly environment. You don’t want to throw these things into the environment,” he said.

The Drug Control division is involved because many of the drugs disposed of are controlled substances, Mr Gadea said.

Why drugs are left over is a concern, as well, he said. People may not take the full prescription once they begin to feel better, they may change their minds about taking a drug, or drugs may be overprescribed, Mr Gadea said. Leftover drugs around the house pose a threat to children and pets, and can fall into the hands of others who will abuse them with potentially deadly results.

“The medicine disposal events allow the general public a better avenue to get rid of unwanted medications,” said Mr Gadea.

Many people who do an annual cleaning of the medicine cabinet simply uncap the bottle and flush the contents down the toilet, or wash them down the drain. But even over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, and supplements can impact the environment when disposed of in this manner.

According to Lynn Rubinstein, executive director of the Northeast Recycling Council, Inc, groundwater, surface water, drinking water, and the oceans are all adversely affected when medicines and medical wastes are disposed of by being flushed or washed down the drain. “It is unknown if there is any risk to humans,” added Ms Rubinstein.

The Northeast Recycling Council cites a 2000 United States Geological Survey study showing an 80 percent detection rate of drugs such as acetaminophen, steroids, hormones, blood pressure medications, codeine, antibiotics, antimicrobials, and Ibuprofen in 139 streams studied. Low-level exposure to multiple medications may result in unknown chronic effects on the environment, said the council, including feminization of amphibian and fish species.

Because waste water treatment plants for the most part and home septic systems are unable to remove pharmaceutical pollution from the water, the Northeast Recycling Council believes it is important for consumers to be educated as to the best way to dispose of unused medications and medical waste items, said Ms Rubinstein.

The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection advises that the only safe way to dispose of medications and over-the-counter drugs is to put them in the trash. Medication should be kept in its original container, with the patient’s name and personal information crossed out in permanent marker, before being placed in the trash.

Pills and capsules should be partially dissolved in water, liquid medications should be mixed with salt, flour, charcoal, or spices like turmeric and dry mustard, and blister packages should be wrapped in multiple layers of opaque tape to discourage consumption after disposal.

Tape the medication container lid shut with packing or duct tape and place it in a nontransparent bag or empty plastic container. Then place the container in the trash, not the recycling bin.

For ampoules, vials, and IV bags, the taped container should be placed in an empty plastic container and the outside of the container wrapped with opaque tape to prevent leakage. Needles and lancets should also be placed in a puncture-proof, hard plastic container with a screw-on cap, sealed, and wrapped with duct tape before being placed in a bag and then into the trash.

Other medical materials require different disposal methods. A health care provider can discuss proper disposal methods for chemotherapy drugs, and mercury thermometers should be brought to a household hazardous waste collection day only. Mercury thermometers should not be disposed of in the trash or placed in the recycling bin.

Most Connecticut trash is burned at resource recovery facilities at temperatures high enough to destroy the medicine and waste, providing a safe method of disposing of these environmentally hazardous materials.

Because of legal constraints in Connecticut, it is difficult to arrange the medicine disposal events, said Ms Rubinstein, so presently there are no additional medicine disposal events scheduled for this year in Connecticut. For now, the Northeast Council Recycling, Inc hopes that consumers will be proactive in safely disposing of unused medications.