Rules to Keep Drugs out of Waterways

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration PublishedNew Rulesthat will Make the Safe Disposal of Surplus Prescription Medications Easier for Consumers

Retail pharmacies, hospitals with pharmacies, and drug manufacturers will now be allowed to collect and destroy the more than 160 chemical compounds defined by the federal government as "controlled substances."

Before, controlled substances - which, to list just two common examples, include Percocet, a narcotic, and Ritalin, a stimulant - could be handed only to law enforcement officials. Starting October 9, controlled substances can be collected in the same manner as cold medications, ibuprofen, and other over-the-counter drugs, which have no disposal restrictions.

The goals of the new rules are several: rid medicine cabinets of old pills, prevent accidental poisonings and household drug abuse, and avoid contaminating soils and waterways with the residues of a medicated society.

Those unsafe practices involve tossing unwanted drugs in the garbage or flushing them down the toilet, pathways to a local river or lake. Between 10 percent and 40 percent of retail and prescription drugs are not used, according to industry estimates and consumer surveys. Some3.9 billion prescriptionswere filled at U.S. pharmacies in 2013, a number that does not include over-the-counter or mail-order sales

Redirecting the Flow of Drugs

Improper disposal is one ofmany sources of pharmaceuticals in waterways. A portion of an ingested medicine is not metabolized and leaves the body in urine and feces. The livestock industry, the largest consumer of pharmaceutical products, plumps animals with hormones and guards herds against disease outbreaks with a moat of pills. Even soaps, lotions, and shampoos contribute trace amounts of chemicals when they are washed off skin and hair.

Of all these sources, improper disposal is assumed to be the smallest, according to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency scientists, but an exact figure is not known. The estimated range is from a few percent to as much as 20 percent.

Even so, collecting and destroying unused medications is a relatively simple way to shut down one pathway. Collected pills are destroyed by fire in an incinerator.

Advocates for clean water and product safety cheered the DEA's expansion of pharmaceutical collection programs.

"The new rules make it much simpler and much easier for individuals to dispose of their medications," Chris Angel told Circle of Blue. Angel is the co-founder of the Yellow Jug program, a network of drug disposal sites in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

One of the lingering questions ishow to pay for these programs. The DEA rules come with no federal funding, and local governments and pharmacies are sometimes unwilling to foot the bill, though it is relatively small.

The cost of running a collection program varies. The Yellow Jug program costs pharmacies $US 25 per month, Angel said, asserting that ideally the costs should be split between customers, pharmacies, and drug manufacturers.

Source: Circle of Blue

Read More Related Content On This Topic - Click Here

Media

Taxonomy

• Environmental Health
• Governance & Planning