Washblog || Puyallup Lawmaker Raises Awareness on Medication Disposal

Puyallup Lawmaker Raises Awareness on Medication Disposal

By The Country Doc
Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 06:02:06 AM PST
Section: Washington State Topic: Environmental issues

"We feel it's their responsibility," said Washington State lawmaker, Dawn Morrell, to the Associated Press. "We can't have them in the environment and in the drug cabinets for our little kids."

Morrell, a nurse from Puyallup, plans to introduce legislation this year to require pharmaceutical companies to be responsible for the proper disposal of their products. She likens this to increasing requirement on electronics manufacturers to fund recycling programs for their products.

There are two issues at hand. People tend to hord and never dispose of old, unused, or discontinued medications. These overflowing medicine cabinets create an attractive place for children to play and, despite child proof caps, the number of unintentional overdoses is on the rise. According to the Washington State Department of Health rates of unintentional death rates from poisoning increased from 2.3 to 11.3 per 100,000 people between 1990 and 2006. Sixty-three percent involved prescription drugs. A federal study noted that children were the most common victims of non-fatal overdose.

The other issue is environmental contamination. The US Geological Survey looked for 95 pharmaceutically related chemicals in 139 streams and found:

80% had at least one chemical
50% seven or more
34% ten or more.
33 of the chemicals were hormonally active (not sure exactly what the report meant by this, but I think they meant as in sex hormones, estrogen/testosterone)
45 of the chemicals were pharmaceutically active.
An Associated Press investigation last year found at least 46 million Americans are supplied with drinking water that has tested positive for traces of pharmaceuticals.

The story notes that Pharma believes regulatory agencies have already established ways to safely dispose of drugs and they are working to educate the public about the harmful environmental effects of flushing drugs down toilets but opposes take back programs. They are working with US Fish and Wildlife and the American Pharmacists Association in a public-private partnership to promote the proper disposal of medications.

The story notes that several pilot projects already exist in the state and manufacturers have been participating in disposal program in British Columbia for over ten years.

(for more from the Country Doc go to "The Country Doc Report" at: http://thecountrydocreport.wordpress.com)

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Puyallup Lawmaker Raises Awareness on Medication Disposal | 5 comments (5 topical)

Waste Not

Medications also go to waste when a person passes away, gets discharged from the hospital, etc. These are perfectly usable.

We're rightly worried about contamination. There's got to be a practical solution.

Our economy is structured around consumption. Like everyone else, Big Pharma is rewarded for selling more meds.

If we could change the incentives, to reward socially desirable behaviors, we'd eliminate lots of waste.

For healthcare, this would mean rewarding wellness, versus rewarding treating sickness.

Economists (sociologists) are now modeling a person's economic contribution (in the aggregate), so that we can place a value of their wellness.

We're already seeing movement in this area. Even before universal healthcare or single payer insurance kick in. Many employers, like my own, are rewarding clean living, punishing things like smoking, encouraging preventive care, etc.

by zappini on Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 01:35:36 PM PST

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Disposal

What is proper disposal?

I've not seen any information about how to handle these contaminates.

Should we have a separate waste stream for medications? Right now, prescription bottles cannot be recycled in the City of Seattle. That upsets me, but maybe it's better overall if those bottles got redirected.

How are meds made safe? Bioreactors? Incinerators? Reuse/recycle?

by zappini on Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 01:38:41 PM PST

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Take The Leftover Meds to Bartell or Group Health

Article in the Seattle paper:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/6420ap_wa_drug_disposal.html

The leftover med collection will still happen through 2009, according to the article.

The Group Health presciption bottles are recyclable plastic. They have a 'neck and shoulders'. I wash them and, important for privacy, remove the prescription label. That is ok in Seattle. You'd have to check the rules in your jurisdiction. I just verified this with the pharmacist. They will take the empty bottles, just ask that empties not be dumped in the med return bin. They shred bottles and recycle the material.

Hard plastic cylindrical bottles on the other hand are not recyclable....maybe it's time to put some pressure on pharmacies that use them?

It makes sense. We are making computer and electronic manufacturers pay for taking back used components. That law needs some tweaking because it is wreaking havoc with non-profit refurbishers. But, the idea can be sound. And, I am not sure that the cost is prohibitive.

by ktkeller on Mon Jan 05, 2009 at 05:13:20 PM PST

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If You are Not in the PS Area or Spokane by ktkeller, 01/05/2009 05:21:32 PM PST (none / 0)

The Proposal Has Bill Numbers

From the SeattleP-I (may it rest in peace);

A proposal in the Legislature strikes an excellent balance, requiring that a medicine take-back program be established but giving the pharmaceutical companies leeway in its design. State Rep. Dawn Morrell's HB1165 and Sen. Adam Kline's companion measure, SB5279, significantly would reduce the dangers of accidental overdose or abuse.

Full Editorial:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/397125_medreturned.html

by ktkeller on Fri Jan 23, 2009 at 08:16:41 PM PST

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Puyallup Lawmaker Raises Awareness on Medication Disposal | 5 comments (5 topical)

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