SAFETY AND HEALTH

Safe Medicine Disposal Protects Your Family

For decades we have been told by the medical community to keep pharmaceutical products (over-the-counter and prescription) out of the reach of children, away from pets and to use them only as directed. These guidelines have prevented hundreds of deaths and accidental poisonings but what do you do when you need to dispose of out of date or unused medicine?

Expired and unused medicines pose risks to your family, your community and your environment. Timely and proper disposal of these medicines reduce the risk of poisoning to children and pets, increase the effectiveness of wastewater treatment plants and improve water quality.

There are primarily two recommended ways to dispose of medication: Flushing it down the toilet or placing it in the trash.

The first method, flushing solid medications down the toilet and pouring liquid medications down the drain, is the method of disposal most recommended because it is convenient and immediately removes the threat of accidental poisoning to children and pets.

However, scientists and water quality experts have been noting an odd phenomenon. Trace amounts of pharmaceuticals have been found in lakes and streams.

How did this happen? First, small amounts of all medications have the potential to enter our environment either through excretion of internally digested medicines or washing off of external medications. This source of contamination would be hard to eliminate as the drugs are being used as directed.

A major source of contamination that can easily be eliminated is the recommended practice of flushing pills and dumping liquid medications down the drain. Although the intention of this recommendation was very good (to decrease the risk of accidental poisoning) it inad-vertently may he causing harm as the life-long exposure to aquatic life and long-term consumption of such minute contaminants on humans is unknown.

Finally, wastewater treatment facilities are not designed to filter out pharmaceuticals. Some of the treatment processes do capture a portion of some medicines, however, most products travel through the facility unharmed.

Households relying on a septic system should NEVER flush medicines down the toilet or the drain. These products upset the delicate bacterial balance needed to properly treat normal household wastewater.

So what is the best method for disposing of unwanted pharmaceuticals? The best option is a community household hazardous waste collection program. Contact your local health department or state Environmental Protection Agency to find out if there is a program in your area.

The second best method is to follow a series of precautionary steps and then place the items in the trash.

First, keep medicines in their original containers. The containers are generally childproof and water tight reducing the risk of accidental poisoning to children and pets.

Add water to solid drugs and add an absorbing agent, such as kitty litter or sawdust, to liquid medicines. This discourages any unintended use of the medicine.

Double enclose the containers in non-see through bags or containers. This serves two purposes; it eliminates immediate identification of the item and prevents it from spilling if the container is accidentally crushed before it reaches the landfill.

Finally, store the hag or container in a safe location until you are carrying the trash outside for collection. This will greatly reduce the risk of accidental poisoning.

The next time you dispose of expired or unused medicines, find out if there is a hazardous waste collection site near you. If there is not, follow the guidelines above to properly dispose of medicines and know that you are improving the safety of your family, your community and your environment!

Jodie Tate is an Extension Educator, Natural Resource Management, at the Springfield Extension Center. You may contact Jodie by phone at (217) 782-6515 or by e-mail at jotate@uiuc. edu.

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