Question of the Week: What do you do with unused over-the-counter or prescription drugs?
Posted on December 8th, 2008 - 10:30 AMTweet
Each week we ask a question related to the environment. Please let us know your thoughts as comments. Feel free to respond to earlier comments or post new ideas. Previous questions.
Drugs and pharmaceutical products include powerful chemicals that have saved or improved countless lives. But even small amounts of drugs need to be disposed of carefully so they don’t pollute the environment or harm human health and wildlife. In early 2007 the government set guidelines for proper disposal of prescription drugs.
What do you do with unused over-the-counter or prescription drugs?
Tags: disposal, pollution, Prescription Drugs, Question of the Week
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Question of the Week
December 8th, 2008 at 11:25 am
First?
I follow the instructions on the label or MSDS.
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December 8th, 2008 at 11:31 am
I either flush them or dispose of them in the trash (landfill) based on convience of the moment.
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December 8th, 2008 at 11:33 am
First, I try not to use them whenever possible. Second, I try to only get as much as I think I will need. And third, I pretty much hold onto whatever’s left over in the hopes that someone will come up with a reverse distribution program for individual consumers (e.g. pharmacy-take-back). Not the safest way to do it, but I can’t bring myself to throw them away (my local landfill is allowed to pipe their leachate to the water treatment plant, which does not have a filtration system capable of removing small pharmaceutical molecules).
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Poingcritter reply on December 8, 2008 2:24 pm:
You could try phoning local free clinics. There are some that re-distrubute medications to people who wouldn’t be able to afford them any other way. It’s a programme that is becoming widely used in some parts of Africa.
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Anonymous reply on May 12, 2011 11:50 am:
I’m utterly shocked to hear this!! If it’s unsafe for the orginal user to use outdated medications, do tell me, how it becomes safe to redistribute to others??? I might as well just keep them myself for later use?!! What then makes old medications unsafe???
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December 8th, 2008 at 11:34 am
It is interesting to not that the official government web site indicates disposal methods but there is no discussion of the environmental impact from the disposal. Sewering the drugs listed does not address if those drugs are broken down and destroyed in the sewer treatment process. Landfilling any of the drugs does not necessarily render them harmless to the environment. Inceneration probably will break down any of the drugs to basic elemental oxides and mau make them as harmless as possible (outside of global warming impacts).
Are there any drugs that should not be sewered because they are not broken down in the sewer treatment process and instead should be landfilled or incenerated?
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Tracey Gay reply on December 23, 2009 1:44 pm:
In response to drugs that should NEVER be flushed–antibiotics as they make bacteria drug resistant and hormone replacement drugs as they affect the reproductive cycles of aquatic life. Place in sealed container with kitty litter, flour or coffee grounds, mix with water or alcohol and wrap with duct tape–pills will be inert before they leach to ground water.
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December 8th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Our county government has started a program called the PyroMed program. There is a drop-off location at one of the local police stations. The unused medications are then taken to another location for incineration. Periodically, a drop-off day is held at an alternate location to collect any unused OTC or prescription medications.
http://ar.water.usgs.gov/NEWS/NWA06192008.html
http://www.co.benton.ar.us/Environment/index.html
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December 8th, 2008 at 11:39 am
In the past I have flushed them down he toilet, but stopped due to reports of the flushing disposal method was causing pollution in water bodies and challenging recyclable water options. I have recently started crushing aned discarding with household garbage.
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December 8th, 2008 at 11:41 am
I chair NYS DEC’s Pharmaceuticals Work Group, and this is an issue that has received considerable attention here in NYS. We recommend that NO household drugs be flushed (we respectfully disagree with the ONDCP guidelines on this point), and offer disposal guidance on our website, http://www.dontflushyourdrugs.net.
NYS has a “Don’t Flush Your Drugs” campaign and we are promoting the return of unused medications to collection programs, disposal through the trash if a collection is not available (see website), and are actively working to revise procedures for the disposal of unused medications in institutions.
We are talking to various groups, and actively working to spread the “Don’t Flush Your Drugs” message.
Clearly, this is a first, relatively easily achievable step that represents a prudent approach toward reducing the discharge of unused pharmaceuticals into our waterways, but other steps, such as improved treatment, promoting the development of drugs that break down much more quickly after leaving the body, and research into levels of drugs in our waterways and their effects on living organisms, will need to follow.
This is an important issue and I thank EPA for this chance to discuss it.
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December 8th, 2008 at 11:48 am
I’m a toxicologist so I rarely had extra meds as I generally take all of the prescription. Of the extra ones, I used to flush them down the commode as had been the general practice of most Americans to keep them from becomming accessible to children or addicts via a trash can. However, last year my local newspaper published an article listing results of a 2-city per state nationwide survey which indicated alarming rates of prescription medications in ALL municipal waters. Obviously these meds have infiltrated our precious groundwater systems. I will soon be installing in my home a complete Water filtration system including ionization, UV and de-acidification of all my water, not just my drinking water, because I know that some of these drugs are capable of being absorbed cutaneously (thru-the-skin). I was horrified to discover not only that our water systems were contaminated by medications, but the types and levels of these drugs is off the chart.Think about it, hormones, heart medications, psychotropics, antibiotics, anti-convulsants, etc. My greatest concern is that some of the drugs for mental disorders can actually create these diseases in a normally healthy person who does not need to be taking these drugs to alter the brain chemistry back to a normal state. This is appalling and something needs to be implemented immediately to block their introduction into our potable water. Buying water from a store will not resolve this problem since all water comes from underground aquifers or large reservoirs, all of which are now contaminated. When I observe the erratic behavior of most people (of all ages) today, I can see a possible correlation between our contaminated and now toxic water supplies and the craziness in the world around us. This is sad and quite tragic. I beg you as one kind professional human being to anogher to please address this issue soon.
Thank you,
Dr. Karen McBride
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Felipe Cervantes Sotelo reply on December 8, 2008 1:04 pm:
thank you for your ilustration Doctor Karen
The problem here is how to dispose off properly the drugs
I suggest that every drug store should have and promote the recycling of drugs as well as any doctor should advise their customers to dispose properly the drugs they prescribe and it is good for the people that can affort to put filtering devises in their homes even for cleaning their bodies and washing their hands. In this case the filtering industry would make good money with peoples like you doc. have a merry christmas
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rob reply on December 8, 2008 1:13 pm:
just a chemical engineers comment.
UV light is highly absorbed by organics containing double bonds. It may not do anything to the organic you think it will be oxidizaing. deionization is good for removing ions (maybe that is what you want it do do)….deionized water will seek to re estatblish the ion balance using minerals and metals. It wil do nothing for organics, and will remove minerals that give water it’s taste also.
I have not heard of “de acidification”, is it what it sounds like ? Did you mean neutralization (do you have water supply pH problems).
I think the world craziness is due to overpopulation myself.
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Robert Ressl reply on December 8, 2008 5:40 pm:
The elephant in the room is population or reasonable (who knows what that is) growth or some kind of negative growth (genocide).
The current buzz words are sustainablity and conservation. Whit out control of growth nothing is sustainable and conservation with continued growth just puts off to the future when we have to face that resources are limited and population has to be limited also.
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Robert Ressl reply on December 8, 2008 5:43 pm:
how much of properly consumed medications ends up in our bodily excrements? Isn’t this as much a source of pharmacuticals in the waste water treatment plant discharge (and then into the drinking water supply) as any other source?
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Sarah S reply on December 9, 2008 10:52 am:
Far more pharmaceuticals are excreted, unmetabolized than are flushed down the drain. This presents an unique challenge, to say the least, to those of us trying to limit the amount of pharmaceuticals reaching WWTPs and beyond.
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December 8th, 2008 at 11:50 am
At the hospital where I work, we capture unused (and non-contaminated) medications and sort them based on their level of toxicity (per RCRA). We flush those that the FDA has identified. We separate the others based on RCRA guidance: D- and U-listed are captured/transported together; acutely toxic P-listed pharmaceuticals are segregated into 1-quart containers for disposal. This separation system works, but the controls will be easier to implement on a wide-scale if the Universal Waste Rule is amended to include pharmaceutical wastes.
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December 8th, 2008 at 11:55 am
I usually leave my unused over-the-counter or prescription drugs in the drug cabinet until waaaay past their expiration date, mainly because I did not know what else to do with them. I somehow knew it could not be good to flush them down the toilet. I felt vaguely that throwing them away as household trash to end up in an unsecured landfill was also bad.
I feel a lot better now that I know the EPA wants me to discard meds in the trash so that they can end up in our groundwater; NOT.
Why isn’t there a practice where unused meds could be returned to pharmacies (from which they came) for proper disposal (I would underscore “proper” if I could). I would hope that the definition of “proper disposal” of unused medications returned to pharmacies would not include discarding to unlined landfills.
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Felipe Cervantes Sotelo reply on December 8, 2008 1:08 pm:
good for you Willard
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December 8th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Is there a list of places one can take their old prescription drugs to turn in? I live in Blue Springs, MO. so anywhere in the Kansas City Metro area would be good.
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david reply on December 10, 2008 4:28 pm:
say hi to david cook
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December 8th, 2008 at 11:57 am
I usually flush them down the toliet, then crush the pill bottles in my trash compactor.
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December 8th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I understand that the current containers that store toxic waste are made of stainless steel and they only last about 5-7 years. Is this true?
If there was a container that would last for 20 or 30 years, would that help?
If Yes, how would someone go about providing this type of container to the country so the toxic waste could be stored safer?
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jhn reply on December 8, 2008 1:05 pm:
That doesn’t sound like a good information source you are using. Product containers don’t know if they are holding a “toxic” waste, or a “toxic” product
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Felipe Cervantes Sotelo reply on December 8, 2008 1:11 pm:
my idea is to burn or recycle medications
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Utah Chris reply on December 8, 2008 1:32 pm:
I’m not sure I understand your situation.
In general, hazardous waste may only be stored at your collection point for 90 days if you are the generator of the waste. If you have a satellite collection point, you may store up to one year provided it remains less than 55-gallons. If you are a disposal facility for RCRA waste, you generally have 1-year to dispose of the waste (on-site) or ship it to another disposal facility provided it is not TSCA regulated PCBs.
The disposal timing allowed by regulation is appropriate for RCRA waste but does not really apply to the case of unused pharmaceuticals which may or may not be State regulated and are not Federally regulated as a waste.
Container type is really not affected by pharmaceuticals as they are generally not incompatible with metal, plastic, glass, etc.
This container type discussion and length of time to store is really off-topic. Storage for lengthy times is generally far less safe for all wastes for a number of reasons. Quick and efficient handling and disposal via incineration, land disposal, wastewater treatment, recycling, or other regulatory approved processes is considered to be safe by every level of the cradle-to-grave process and also reduces or eliminates liability.
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December 8th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
I’m not sure what to do with mine. I’ve been holding on to them until this gets figured out.
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Felipe Cervantes Sotelo reply on December 8, 2008 1:13 pm:
take them to the store where you got them and suggest them no to flush them down the toilet may be they will come with an idea how to recycle drugs
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December 8th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
I just wish we could develop of reuse system to recycle unused medicines to make them available for people with inadequate medical coverage to pay for medicines. I used to flush mine down the toilet but have not done recently due to the reports of widespread contamination in our drinking water.
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December 8th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
That is quite interesting that the EPA would suggest throwing prescription drugs away in the trash. Not only for the reason given by the toxicologist above, deterring drug addicts from trying them out, but also because landfill owners/workers do not have the time or capabilities to venture through that vast amount of garbage to separate prescription drugs from all of the other toxic substances. Prescription drugs, by nature, are highly soluble. This means that they dissolve easily in water or other liquids and adhere to that liquid as they move and react with their given environment. Basically, if it rains the pills, or whatever form, will dissolve and attach themselves to the rainwater and end up carrying itself with it into wherever the water flows. Although landfills to attach into the MS4 there are still no rules that give a maximum discharge level into the MSA except that the landfill must have a system in place to catch the leachate. Leachate from pills is not heavy enough to catch itself into the leachate system, once again because of the nature of the substance and how it is used in our lives. The substance has to be small enough when dissolved to combine with our brain cells to work properly.
Anyway, that being said, I usually don’t have left over medicine. I do have a container of antibiotics that is about two or three years old from an old ear infection, still sitting on top of the fridge. I really need to do something with it since the dogs my try to bite into it if it happens to fall off of the fridge when I’m not here to supervise, that could be detrimental. The crushing and mixing with litter would be very tempting except, won’t that leach also? I don’t know, what is the scientific validity of that method? I guess I’ll research it, for the dogs sake at least.
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December 8th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
We rarely have leftovers, drugs or food. We have never considered the toilet the answer for anything out of the ordinary for intended uses and I will not start now. I find the governments “proper disposal” very short-sighted. Drugs should be returned to your local Hazardous Wast site. If they do not accept them now, you should get them to start.
Are pill bottles not recyclable? I believe most are.
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Felipe Cervantes Sotelo reply on December 8, 2008 12:56 pm:
The pharmacyies or drug stores should have a recycling system in their stores handy to all customers and educate the population to recycle these drugs. The t v media is one good source of leting know the general public, the post office is another good source
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jhn reply on December 8, 2008 1:03 pm:
recycled drugs ?? Who would you get to buy into that liability and PR issues
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December 8th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
If the meds are my narcotic scripts, my doctor’s office takes them and places them in a solution that dissolves them. Anything else, I throw away. I put them on top of used coffee grinds so they will dissolve. You should never flush meds because they get into the water system.
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December 8th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
In the Madison, Wisconsin area, there is an annual or semi-annual drop off for old medications. http://www.meddropdane.org/
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Jess reply on December 10, 2008 4:33 pm:
That’s great! Thanks for sharing!
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December 8th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Prescription drugs are taken in their entirety as prescribed. The same procedure is followed for over-the-counter (OTC) medications. In the event OTC medications become expired or outdated, medicatons in pill-form (i.e. pain medications) are placed into the trash; liquid medications (i.e. cough/cold medications) are flushed down the toilet. Empty containers are place into the trash.
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rob reply on December 8, 2008 1:29 pm:
that’s a restatement of the issue in my opinion. That the FDA and pharmacy groups recommend out-of-sight, out-of-mind waste managment methods is appropriate to their concerns (misuse of pharm). If we were discussing industry as the source, who would be recommending hiding it in the trash or sewering it. Those were practices from the pre 70’s
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December 8th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
I store them in their original containers, in a ziplock baggie labeled “Expired Meds” and keep them in the back of the medicine cabinet until there’s a local collection. The empty pill bottles get recycled. Some pharmacies will take back your expired meds for proper disposal. Wouldn’t it be nice if the labels stated DO NOT FLUSH?
Check your State EPA websites for local collection dates. It might be listed with hazardous waste collection. If a collection program does not exist in your area, encourage your health care provider, local governments and local law enforcement to develop one!
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December 8th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
I take them to a local pharmacy that sends them off to incineration. I’m still not convinced incineration is the best way to handle them, but I suppose it’s better than landfilling them or flushing them.
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December 8th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I’m a hydrogeologist and a geological engineer with first hand experience on groundwater contamination. No drugs should be released into the environment either by being flushed or putting in the landfills. Both disposal methods cause contamination to the groundwater and therefore our drinking water supplies. Landfills are notorious for leaking into the groundwater, and flushed wastewater is often recyled for drinking water. There needs be a universal collection and containment program for safe destruction of unused drugs.
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fondgule reply on December 20, 2008 12:50 pm:
hmmm. and every time you defecate into the toilet you are releasing those compounds any way. Because the ones that don’t break down in the sewage probably don’t break down in your intestine either.
Having thought about it, I prefer the landfill. I am guessing that by the time the pill leeches into the ground water it is more likely to be degraded by natural forces because, flushing them puts them into effluent sooner?
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December 8th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Perhaps the general public should be held to the same disposal standards as the regulations community. And federal agencies (FDA and EPA) should work together on issues of mutual responsibility.
I have coordinated one pharm. disposal day at my place of employment. We could not accept controlled drugs fundementally because of the FDA requirements that police take custody of the drugs, lock em up, and contract themselves for disposal. Perhaps the FDA itself could hold disposal days for the public since it’s oversight is so critical. It is rather cheap to incinerate pills.
I think most pharm in water supplies are due to people excreting drugs and metabolites, not drug disposal (although this is a significant source no doubt)
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December 8th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
I render them unusable or unrecognizable (by mixing with other trash) and disposal of them in my household garbage (solid waste). Would love to have a drug take-back program with the local pharmacy.
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December 8th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
After learning about the impact mediations have on fish and other aquatic life, I stopped sending them to the landfill and began taking them to Household Hazardous Waste drop-offs and now, to pharmacies that are accepting unwanted medications. There are 10 pharmacies in Will County, Illinois offereing this service. I also have heard of police departments taking medications to keep seniors safe.
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robert Ressl reply on December 9, 2008 5:14 pm:
What does the household hazardous waste drop-off do with the medications?
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Sally G reply on December 22, 2008 6:31 am:
Good question, but I recently stopped my parents from disposing of old prescriptions by EPA-approved methods because I thought they were too dangerous to the environment. A sad statement, that. I suggested the local hazardous waste disposal day, and now question that. Just because they collect something, doesn’t mean that they necessarily dispose of it properly, does it? And our waste day doesn’t advertise accepting outdated medications. I’ll have to rethink this one. . . .
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December 8th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
My suggestion is to have a recycling (collecting) system at the store where they sell drugs then assort them by categories and may be recycle them into a new medicine our young minds in the medicine sector will come with an idea how to recycle after you collect them, Merry CHristmas America !!
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December 8th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Collect and recycle into new medications
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December 8th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
Just throw in trash, but I do realize landfill is not the answer either. I have never been one to flush.
One simply cannot worry about everything and so many things NEED to be rethought in the United States with respect to recycling wastes, landfill, etc. Everything is based on capitalism and it bothers me how it seems it has to make money somehow or we do not do it…really makes me angryl.
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December 8th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I have no recollection of ever disposing of meds in any manner. We either use them until the container is empty of they just sit in the cabinet pretty much permanently. Maybe this would be different if we had a lot of them. But what we have occupies so little space and is rarely seen or thought about. I’d like to say this is good waste storage, but it’s really just inertia. Now that the issue of risk has been raised, there doesn’t seem to be a good reason to toss out a couple of dusty tubes until some safe method of disposal specifically for this waste stream becomes locally available.
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December 8th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
I remove them from the original container and throw them in the trash. If they are something that would be potentially desirable (narcotics) I make them unpallatable by mixing them with waste food or small amounts of liquid. My trash is incinerated for energy recovery and I know that flushing them down the toilet is not the proper disposal method. Hopefully, the Universal Waste amendments will be finalized to include pharmaceuticals and more local take back programs will accept this waste.
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December 8th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
I use up antibiotics- always. Other stuff I just keep. I’ve learned that the condition they were originally prescribed for usually repeats some time in the next 5 years. Why waste the money? I know the drug companies will say the expiration date is important but I figure meds are precious and should not be wasted. When my parents passed on, rather than flush them in to my septic tank I threw the pills into my wood burning stove when I had a good fire going. They probably heated my house for about a minute.
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December 8th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I throw them in the trash.
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December 8th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
I still have old bottles that I do not know how to get rid of. The method of flushing them or putting them in the trash is kind of funny to me. They say to dilute them in old coffe grounds then send them on to the landfill so “drug addicts” cannot get to them. If we all go by the EPA method, all any one would have to do is go sniff the landfill for a good high!
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December 8th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
All the comments so far seem to act like all the pharmacuticals are the same with regards to disposal. They aren’t.
Secondly I seem to have read that many drugs are not nutarized or altered by the body but only used then passed in the excrements and ultimately passed to the wastewater treatment system.
Does any one have any specifics or what is the chemical fait of some of the more common drugs.
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December 8th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Collect left over drugs from nursing homes, assisted care, hospitals etc and provide them to low income programs to be dispensed appropriately. Another possible use would be in third world countries. These drugs have been in controlled situtations and would be safe to use for other programs.
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December 9th, 2008 at 12:40 am
the expirated drugs remove them from the original container and throw them in the trash
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December 9th, 2008 at 4:52 am
I do not use prescription or OTC drugs, so I don’t encounter this problem. We use a combination of various healing foods, herbs and homeopathic remedies to prevent and treat all illnesses. I’m in my mid 40’s and still look & feel great without any of those dangerous drugs. My last illness was a cold (this includes headaches and indigestion too) and occurred in April of 2005. Health is not the absence of illness, but so much more.
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December 9th, 2008 at 6:41 am
My Dad recently passed away and we have left over medicines. Before I knew it my brother had, done what he thought was appropriate, and flushed many of them. But other medicines I caught in the nick of time and was searching to find somewhere to donate them. I found a place on the internet. I haven’t sent the medicine yet, put it looks to be a reputible place with a very worthwhile cause. ….They only take unexpired meds, and they send them to other countries to folks in need. Check out info at: http://www.ehow.com/how_2198300_donate-unused-leftover-medicines.html
http://www.thestarfishproject.org/
I also found info on disposal at several websites, including: http://www.fda.gov/consumer/updates/drug_disposal062308.html#Guidelines
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December 9th, 2008 at 9:21 am
For non-narcotic medications, a charity organization, Red Cross for example, could possibly receive and re-distribute to third world countries or to local patients of free clinics. Collection could be possible through local pharmacies, hospitals and clinics.
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December 9th, 2008 at 11:06 am
I often mix them in with the cat litter when I change my cats’ boxes. The litter absorbs liquid, and renders it really gross, so no-one can use them; this all goes to the normal garbage landfill. A pharmacist recommended putting any pills in a snack-size zip-lock baggie and adding a good squirt of dishwashing liquid, mushing them around and putting with the “wet garbage”.
SOMETIMES if you have a leftover very expensive medication, there are clinics who can take donations for patients in very tight financial straits…
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December 9th, 2008 at 11:53 am
I dispose of them in my trash which goes to the local landfill (which will become a future superfund site in the future).
Federal or state laws need to be passed requiring that prescription medicines be returned to the local pharmacies or hospitals for proper disposal. Prescription medicines and over-the-counter medicines should be labeled with their proper disposal method and or whether the medicine should be returned to a pharmacy or hospital for proper disposal.
Hazard assessments should be done on each medication whether prescription or over-the-counter for potential risk to the environment (i.e. potable water), and then proper disposal reccomendations labeled on the containers and packaging as required by a law.
Fast track procedures should be in place for medicines that need to be release to the public quickly for the public good/health and for which a full risk assessment could not be completed with labeling that unused medicine should be returned to the pharmacy or hospital for proper disposal or even recycling.
This should be a high priority issue.
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December 9th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Recycle through qualified pharmacies from first owners prescription bottles
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December 9th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Tell me I’m wrong
One man’s theory of the destruction of humanity, a theoretical account of the cause of cancer and autism.
I have been in the environmental disposal field for 20 years, starting out from college as a chemist for a waste disposal firm. I was out of the environmental field for almost 5 years, when I returned to the field in April of 2007, I was confronted with some new questions on how to dispose of some non regulated wastes from hospitals. The waste was mostly un-used pharmaceuticals.
Upon looking at the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets) for these materials I was troubled. Over my 20 years in the environmental business I have researched a lot of chemicals for their toxicology and what I discovered this past year terrifies me. An example is a common chemotherapy chemical (drug) Mustargen made by MERCK. On page one of the MSDS it states as a warning:
May cause cancer
May cause heritable genetic damage
May cause harm to the unborn child
Well at least they can’t say they didn’t tell us.
I hope that I am wrong and someone smarter than me can disprove my theory, however here it is.:
Over the last few months I have learned how chemotherapy drugs work, they are chemicals that have one job, they mutate genes, Hence the term, “mutagenic”. Effective because they get into the cells and mutating the DNA to kill the cancer; these drugs are non-dose dependent, which means that the amount you give a patient does not matter, I read that in an article in the August 20th 2007 Chemical and Engineering News.
These chemicals are administered to the patient in pico gram per liter concentrations. That translates into part per trillion, levels that are given to the patient; they work magnitudes less in the body, at a cellular level. This means that when a gene is mutated and the cell splits in two, the two new cells are mutated also, a.k.a, genetic engineering.
This is the problem I have: the chemical (drug) is administered to the patient at a level so low that the only way to measure it is by a series of dilutions. What happens to the rest of the chemical? It goes down the drain, into the sewer and septic systems. The waste water treatment plant does not remove the chemical, it cannot kill the chemical, because it is not alive, it is a chemical, a chemical with a job to mutate the human DNA.
What does this drug do when it enters the water supply? It is not selective, it does not discriminate. It does what it is designed to do which is to mutate genes. In goes into the water system and does its job. It mutates the genes of frogs so they have 5 legs, three eyes, no genitals, there have been many studies on the mutation of lower level planet dwellers what about humans?
I am not saying that Chemotherapy Chemicals are the only Mutagenic Chemicals, many chemicals have a side effect of being possible Teratogen, or mutagen. I am saying Chemotherapy Chemicals ( Drugs) have only one job and that job is to mutate the genes of humans.
The disposal of unused drugs is only the tip of the problem. The absorption rate of most drugs is less than 10% and some less than 3% some even lower, so if you are taking chemotherapy most of the drug will pass thru your system and into the toilet, the saliva out of your mouth, or excreted thru your skin or out through your breath.
Alcohol Breath smells like alcohol, Gasoline smells like Gas, Look up “Chemo Breath” on the internet
What is happening to the septic systems? Why is the good bacteria, (and bad bacteria), missing? Why are septic maintenance companies finding dead systems? What do they need to do to make them functional again? In August 2007, I was in Concord NH talking to a person that is a regulator of septic systems. I mentioned my theory and he made a disturbing comment. He said that the septic pump maintenance businesses are complaining that some of the systems are being destroyed by the human waste from a chemotherapy patient. The systems need to be rinsed and cleaned out before they will work again. What happens to the Chemo when the septic system fails, you guessed it, right into the well and the ground water.
Once again the genetically engineered drugs are doing their job.
Did I mention that these cancer curing drugs are also carcinogens, yes that means they cause cancer, and they are administered to the patient in pico gram per liter quantities. That means very small. (If you stack dollar bills like a deck of cards a trillion of them would reach from Boston to Ohio). That means one of those dollars between Boston and Ohio is a part per trillion. Did I mention these chemicals are non dose dependant. That means it does not matter how much or how little you are exposed to — you are exposed. I found that that information also in Chemical and Engineering News.
This is where I get very scary.
In 2002 the US geological survey looked for Pharmaceuticals in ground water; in 80% of the places they looked they found what they were looking for. Granted the levels were low, parts per trillion, pico gram per liter. Do you follow me yet? Part per trillion in ground water, part per trillion administered to cancer patient, mutagenic drug.
Ok this is the part that will get me knocked off by a Big Pharma lobbyist.
In November 2007 a study was announced that stated that Autism is a genetic disorder that is not hereditary.
How do you get a genetic disorder that is not hereditary?
You mutate the genes.
How do you mutate genes?
Chemotherapy Chemicals doing their job.
We cracked the human genome 10 years ago; we started genetic engineering using designer chemicals to cure diseases, chemicals that are effective at a molecular level. The waste from manufacturing these mutagenic, and teratogenic drugs sent down the drain (mutagenic affects you when you are alive, teratogenic affects you before you are alive, in the womb)
Autism has increased 10 times in the last 10 years. It now affects 1 in 150 children. I read an article that it affects 1 in 60 in Northern New Jersey. Northern NJ also has the greatest concentration of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers in the world.
Genetic engineering has been growing ten fold and so has Autism, those pesky little chemicals are doing their job, changing DNA to cure cancer. As well as changing the DNA of our Children and our Future.
Are you scared yet?
I am
Ask everyone you know who has an autistic child if someone close to them has had chemotherapy, I have two friends with autistic children, and both had family members undergo chemotherapy before their child was born.
This is one Chemists Theory
Jim Mullowney
38 Pelham St.
Newport, RI 02840
617-755-0883
March 7th 2008
envisione@aol.com
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michele lemieux reply on December 14, 2008 8:44 pm:
Jim,
Sorry, you are not wrong. I just finished a college course entitled “Wastewater Management” and discovered the same information regarding these presciptions for cancer treatment. Did you know that out of 286 contaminants that are in drinking water, only 85 of them are tested for in our supplies? The list of contaminants found in our water supplies grows with every year, as the list of prescription drugs grows. Sad, truly sad. My dad is a senior scientist at Pfizer, and he is very disturbed about this. I don’t understand why pharmacies don’t educate people as to how to dispose of these medications. Towns and their pharmacies should get together and send out flyers to every residence to get the word across as to how to dispose of these medications properly.
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December 9th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
I have been pealing the label off and just throwing them away in the trash can.
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December 9th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
My local health department in Michigan collects outdated and unused meds (including over-the-counter) during their monthly Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) collections. I can also take them directly to the health dept as part of the HHW program. The meds are then incinerated. The meds cannot have any info that would identify the patient. They also have teamed up the Sheriff’s dept and offer a couple days a year when you can drop off your prescription narcotics. Encourage your local HHW program to do the same.
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fondgule reply on December 20, 2008 12:18 pm:
that’s really funny. In most states when you separate the narcotic drugs from the legitimate label you are committing a crime, then transporting them in that condition is also a crime.
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December 9th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
I take my expired meds to household hazardous waste (HHW) events sponsored by my city
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December 9th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Why would you have leftover meds? I take all I can get ahold of. If it is something that could harm me, like that Avandia, I just give it to the kids to play with. They are much less likely to get the heart attacks if they go ahead and swallow a few. It’s just not a big deal!
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December 9th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
As a caregiver for an individual who took close to 16 pills per day, I encountered this fantastic situation head on. What should I do with old prescriptions?
I explored this with my pharmacist. I was told that the pharmacist doesn’t throw out (via trash) the pharmaceutical waste; rather he flushes everything down the toilet.
The story doesn’t stop there. As a small business owner, this pharmacist weighed:
1) the cost of having a medical waste service pick-up his pharmaceutical waste ( passing the cost along to his customers / with the irony being: the pharmaceutical waste would simply be put in the trash via the service )
2) his business’ trash container being a target for would-be addicts.
– Sadly, this pharmacist has the account with several nursing homes in the area. You can imagine the volume being flushed.
Having learned of this small business professional’s quandary, you can exponentially assume the predicament of how much pharmaceutical waste IS GOING DOWN THE DRAINS of America.
Isn’t it the responsibility to create reverse-distribution from the Pharmaceutical companies to pick-up their product and not leave a pharmaceutical footprint in the local communities?
I learned of a state university researching the question of how much pharmaceutical waste doesn’t break down in our local landfills. Admirable research, no?
However, severe budget cuts may cut the Hinkley Institute at the University of Gainesville, Florida and results of this research may not be known.
So, the question of the week shouldn’t be a simple census drive.
We have a real problem with our water resources being one big cocktail of Medicine.
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December 10th, 2008 at 8:00 am
Why not dissolve pills in a cup of vinegar to probably destroy most of their drug function or may use a solution of baking soda or maybe lye or drain cleaner?
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Mark O'Neil reply on December 10, 2008 1:33 pm:
1) Methods of proper disposal for pharmaceuticals should be funded research at universities. We could be creating derivative toxic compounds by improper disposal methods not to mention the compounds being potentially released into the water supply via toilet or landfill.
2) Do we even want average citzens on a large scale attempting to dispose of pharmaceuticals via such methods themselves or is it better to collect the pharmaceuticals centrally and have someone who is properly trained dispose of them?
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December 10th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Check it out!
http://smarxtdisposal.net/
The SMARXT DISPOSAL campaign is designed to raise awareness about the potential environmental impact from improperly disposed of medications and to provide proactive guidance through proper disposal alternatives.
A video clip shows you how to dispose of your unused or expired medications.
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Sally G reply on December 22, 2008 6:39 am:
Sorry, that’s just making a toxic slurry that will leach into groundwater when the bag breaks. This is exactly the sort of bad advice that is intended to reassure, but not dealing with the real issues (maybe no kids or animals will ingest it by accident, but it will remain in the environment with the potential to harm all of us by contaminating our ground and drinking water). My concern isn’t accidental ingestion (or even purposeful ingestion by a recreational user), but overall environmental effects.
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December 10th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I flush them quite often. I am aware that this may cause problems with recycling water but what can you do and not have an effect on the world as previously discussed. Landfill them I feel could create the chance that someone takes them, sells them or uses them and could possibly get in the hands of children. Which I feel is far worse then the water issue. I had not heard of the incineration process and if that is the best method then we need to advertise this.
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December 11th, 2008 at 2:18 am
I’d like to post the video on how to properly dispose of drugs, on my website: http://www.sciencecheerleader.com Can you upload it to YouTube so I may grab it? Thanks for considering! –Darlene
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December 11th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Right now in the US I believe that it is illegal to give unused “regulated controlled substances” to ANYONE, including pharmacists once they leave their hands originally. The Drug laws need to be changed so that groups that want to hold a take back day or pharmacies that want to help by having a return disposal policy can do that without added costs of having law enforcement present at all times to take control of the regulated substances. EPA and DEA should be working harder at trying to come to some compromise or or stiplutaion in the law that allows controlled to be handled by a pharmacist or doctor “after the fact”
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fondgule reply on December 20, 2008 12:40 pm:
this is correct.
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December 11th, 2008 at 10:21 am
I work in a nursing home and I am disgusted and deeply diturbed by the amount of medication flushed into our sewer/waste water! People have no idea the magnitude of this problem, antibiotics, narcotics and antidepressants…just to name a few. The effects to wildlife, ourselves, and altered organisms. the cost to Medicare. many drugs are ditroyed just because a patient goes from skilled level of care to nursing facility level. Patients don’t take there remaining medications home with them, I have no idea why! The elderly in this country are prescribed far too many drugs….guanity vs quality!? There is no time left for commities, this practice is going on in every nursing home in the country! Something needs to be done now! Is this not every bit as detrimental to our environment as an oil spill!?? It is, you just can’t see it happening!
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fondgule reply on December 20, 2008 12:39 pm:
They don’t take them because your effin head nurse confiscates them if they are d/c’ed. Never mind that the Dr. *might* restart the medication for that same patient a few days later.
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December 11th, 2008 at 10:36 am
Some of the comments on here frighten the hell out of me. If we all do not take responsibility and stop having a I Don’t care attitude we all are in trouble. I personally take all of the perscriptions That I get and try to use them. If I no longer need a certain drug I try to find someone who has been perscribed the same drug. Then I give the left overs to them. Also many organizations accept left overs to give to foreign countries. There is a solution and it starts with being trustworthy. If more people were trustworthy then people would not fear taking recycled meds.
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December 11th, 2008 at 10:56 am
This response is not only for this subject, but personally, I applaud the EPA for doing all they can to help us make sure things(all things) are disposed of properly, and helping us to make sure we do not mistakenly hurt our environment in small or large ways. As for the criminals that purposefully harm our environment intentionally, I’d like to see them all go to jail, because we only have one planet, and as far as we know,we are also the most advanced civilization our planet has had on it so far. We only get one shot at treating our planet right and personally, I think every rich Oil Baron and Family that has made trillions of dollars on making smog building and ozone killing fuels should be on that list too, but they are untouchable because they own way too many things;things that most people aren’t aware of. I personally know our vehicles could be run without gasoline and just run on a multitude of different clean (green) energy sources,(like compressed air, which the only bi-product of it is…More compressed air) but we still pay trillions of dollars every day to use that same Earth killing fuel. So we are all guilty in some way of killing our planet, and I hope we stop soon. As I said, I applaud the EPA in their efforts to rid our Earth of the evil people who dump toxic waste in our waters and oceans, for they have no idea the future damage they will do..I hope your system catches every one of them and brings them to justice.. Sincerely, G.M.
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fondgule reply on December 20, 2008 12:37 pm:
good idea gM.
Round up all those wealthy people and confiscate their wealth, take their property and in fact, imprison them. After all, it worked for the Bolshieviks. I am sure Lord Obama is working on something like that right now.
You are right about the cars too. I developed plans for a Chevy Surburban that was made entirely of recyclable rice paper and ran on Fescue grass clippings and produce zero emissions. Texaco gave me a 100 million dollars for the rights and then they destroyed the formula so they could still sell gasoline.
Keep up the good work GM, you are on the right track.
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December 11th, 2008 at 11:04 am
I try not to take medicine in the first place. I personally wouldn’t put anything leftover down the drain or the toilet, especially after hearing about chemicals showing up in public water supplies. The few times I’ve had to take a prescription, it’s been short term and it has always said to be sure to finish all of this medicine on the bottle. Of course, I always ask whether or not medicine is necessary when I see the doctor. I’m surprised at how often they tell me it will make me feel better but not make me actually better. In which case, I prefer to walk out without a prescription.
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Sally G reply on December 22, 2008 6:41 am:
Good for you! I feel the same way.
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December 11th, 2008 at 11:21 am
When will the EPA pass a law for all pharmacuticals to be disposed of properly? By inforcing hospitals and pharmacies to dispose of pills properly could save our water. Flushing and tossing the pharmacuticals into the trash is unsafe and dangerous. If communities had companies that could pick up the unused pills in a locked container then dispose of the pills at a near by incinerator, that could be our best bet for keeping these dangerous pharmacuticals out of our drinking water. These companies are already being formed in various states and the incenerating method so far is safe and effective. Without the EPA people will continue to practice unsafe methods. The future is not looking to bright period for our children. If communities do not ban together and figure out ways to stop our future water from being contaiminted completley are water will be doomed.
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fondgule reply on December 20, 2008 12:31 pm:
Those companies that incinerate drugs are phenominally expensive. Not to mention all the fuel consumed (air pollution, anyone) in the collection route.
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December 11th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I follow the instructions of the doctor
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December 12th, 2008 at 9:50 am
I was looking for a rx disposal program this morning and came across this blog. I am very concerned with the amount of prescription drug’s I have left over from being treated for cancer for the past 10 years. I have numerous expired prescriptions from old antibiotics to anti-depressants, nausea control, ect. I asked my friends what they do with their old drugs and they stated that they dump them in the toilet! I asked them if they were aware that the parts of the drug ended up on our water supply. They did not realize this. I live in florida and am aware of the effects this practice has taken on our water, fish, frogs. ect. The florida department of enviromental affairs suggest that you keep the drugs in the original container, black out your name and rx #, place them in a plastic container with a lid ( like a old detergent bottle). Duct tape it closed and throw it in the garbage.(not the recycle bin).Now I ask myself, how is this safe?. How am I being a good servant by throwing the plastic containers in the garbage to be taken to the landfill? There must be a better solution. I will continue my research until I can find or come up with an environmentally safe solution.Sandy R.,Sarasota Florida
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fondgule reply on December 20, 2008 12:28 pm:
You shouldn’t have any left over antibiotics. You need to take them ALL to be effective in 99% of the time. Best idea, ask you Dr. if you really do need an antibiotic? Antibiotics won’t cure you if you are suffering from virus. Then you wont have anything to throw away.
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December 12th, 2008 at 11:15 am
I feed them to my dog. I figure someone should get some use out of the old pills.
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Betsey reply on December 14, 2008 7:01 pm:
I like that idea, very funny. LOL
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December 13th, 2008 at 3:24 am
Yvonika,Filipe Says,if we all follow the instructions of the doctor,the question would be solved.
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December 14th, 2008 at 10:36 am
That is a very good question. I dissolve them with very hot water. I have a Tankless Water Heater which provides endless hot water. So, I use the Tankless water heater and dissolve them in hot water. It works everytime. Then, I throw all plastic containers in the appropriate recycle container.
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December 14th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I bring any unused prescriptions to the hospital pharmacy for disposal.
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December 14th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I believe we are not doing enough to divert any medication from getting into the water system. We have indications that small amounts can cause changes to frogs, alligators, and fish. The pharmaceuticals in the water can be prevented by holding health care professionals accountable to use community take back the pill programs.
In my town La Crosse County Waste Management has a drop off site for almost every day and has successfully included businesses to divert medications from disposal in landfills and water. In one year we have diverted about 5 million pills.This highly effective method should be a prototype for other areas.
We need to have nurses problem solve the disposal of meds in the work site into appropriate containers rather than the sink or trash.
We need more research into the effects of water pollution on humans.
We a multidisciplinary approach to this problem of water pollution.
The amount of medication usage is growing rapidly each year. We need to act now to strengthen the laws to prevent pollution.
Kathryn Lammers RN PhDc
Assistant Professor of Nursing
Winona State University
member of the Wisconsin Nurses Association
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fondgule reply on December 20, 2008 12:25 pm:
good idea. Station a nurse in every work site and public facility to pour pills into a big container. We could call that the full employment for nurses in perpetuity program.
In fact, we could do even better. We could send a nurse to the home of every person taking Rx meds to collect their feces every day. The nurses could then take the feces to a big incinerator facility to make sure all organic remnents of the pills were broken down. Then all we would have to worry about is the air pollution from the incinerator…and the fossil fuels to power it.
Wow. What would we ever do without academia.
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December 14th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
I try to use natural products when possible, but I confess, I have flushed RX’s down the comode and into my septic system. Maybe that is why the geese are acting frisky!
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December 14th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Before enrolling in a class in college, entitled “Wastewater Management”, I never really thought about this subject. My mother had always flushed outdated pills and other medications down the toilet. After learning about how our wastewater is processed, I have changed my way of thinking, as well as my mothers. It is still difficult however, to determine the best way to dispose of these items. I think that it would help the environment very much if the pharmacies educated people in each Town as to how to properly dispose of these harmful drugs. I don’t think people realize that these prescriptions are getting back into our drinking water as contaminants.
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December 20th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I can understand where EPA has the authority to regulate medications that are considered hazardous wastes. I don’t see where EPA has the authority to regulate medications that are not. From my understanding of the Universal Waste regulations, the materials to be regulated must first be a hazardous waste first.
I do agree that keeping medications out of the environment is important. I just think EPA & FDA needs to obtain authority from congress.
A medications return program should work like returning lead acid batteries, to the place of purchase. This program has worked for years.
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December 20th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Why do you have left over prescription drugs? *occasionally* you might stop taking the drugs if your dr. says so but, that should be a rare occasion. Stupid people get all upset about flushing a couple of tablets? When they may have been taking the drugs for 20 years and passing them through their bowels. If flushing them is a problem then expelling them through your rectum is also a problem. Goes to the same place, yes?
Empty them out of the bottle into your trash. They are less likely to fall into the hands of stupid people who will take them to see just what they do.
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December 20th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
the best thing to do is to form a new government agency to handle this problem. It shouldn’t cost more than 50 billion a year.
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February 20th, 2009 at 10:04 am
I am a graduate student at the University of Miami in an Environmental Health course and am intrigued by this question. Now that the Office of National Drug Control Policy recommends throwing away most pharamaceuticals, I think we need to examine the issues created by this recommendation. Pharmceuticals are designed to persist in the body and thus, will eventually leach into surface water and ground water. 46 Million in the US have drugs in their drinking water: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26662637/ Adding to the disposal issue is that many drugs leave your body virtually unchanged. Reports are starting to come out on the bioaccumulation of toxic substances in fish and the effect that can have on those consuming the fish.
From the EPA’s standpoint, what new safety/ treatment measures should be in place to rectify this dire situation?
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March 11th, 2009 at 12:36 pm
Link is broken – a link that worked on the A-Z website on disposing of things would be nice.
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kchick reply on March 11, 2009 1:14 pm:
Should be fixed now.
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October 7th, 2009 at 11:05 am
It is good to see that awareness regarding expired meds is becoming mainstream. I was influential in having a local pharmacy develop a take-back program – it was such a big hit, I wrote about it in an environmental newsletter in which I am a columnist. They are planning their third event soon, and their efforts will be featured in a follow-on article in which I compare their efforts with those of two other pharmacies in different parts of the US.
While grassroots efforts are great, we need the USEPA and the FDA and DEA to provide consistent guidance to these outposts acting on their own with just determination and meager anecdotal guidance.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 11:33 pm
Just reading up on this, as I just cleaned out my medicine closet – have a 10 gallon bag of expired prescriptions, as well as supplements of sorts, needing a place to properly dispose of them.
But the BIGGEST reason I started reading up on this tonight, is I just cleaned out my freezer tonight and found two alza 36 tablets in the bottom of the freezer. There is NO reason why those should be there. My youngest son stopped taking the script about a year ago, and I still had some left in the bottle — should have known better.
My Step-son was over about a month ago, and I overheard a conversation he had on the phone with the daughter of a friend of his mother’s (confused yet) that was living with them. She was trying to get a hold of Concerta, as she was “needing it” to help study for a test. I suspect that he had gotten some from his brother’s old script bottle, and when I confronted him about the conversation, must have “dumped” the pills in the bottom of the freezer to get later.
Needless to say, I told him that if I caught him with the pills, or found out that he was either “supplying” or “giving” the pills to others, that he would find out just how much of a “wicked step-mother” I could be, as I would not have a problem having him arrested for “dealing.” Yes, it is a little (no, a lot) extreme, but it could “wake him up” before he ends up killing someone. Truth be told, he really is a good kid, but his mother has absolutely no common sense when it comes to raising kids. Not only that, I have five other kids, and three grandkids I need to worry about as well.
Well, short story long, in answer to many posts questions, contact your local drug rehab organization. They would be more than happy to direct you on where to safely drop off the old meds. Hospitals, pharmacies, police stations, etc. may also have a system in place as well to properly dispose of them.
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April 2nd, 2010 at 12:01 pm
There are many medicines in this country that are not prescribed properly so it is good to know which ones do not require a prescription, although there are sites that you trust as findyourdrug.com gives adequate guarantees ..
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April 15th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
I just throw them in the trash but now that I know better, I should dispose of them properly. It’s surprising how we take things for granted.
Amy Cameron
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