Comments on: New suggestions for the disposing of old prescription medications http://onthepharm.net/2007/03/disposing-of-old-medicine.html Life on the pharm Sat, 13 Mar 2010 17:06:35 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: RJS http://onthepharm.net/2007/03/disposing-of-old-medicine.html/comment-page-1#comment-36320 RJS Thu, 22 Mar 2007 22:36:54 +0000 http://onthepharm.net/2007/03/disposing-of-old-medicine.html#comment-36320 <blockquote>I had someone return two boxes of Casodex 150mg tabs that hadn’t even been opened (and the patient is still alive). These cost the government £240 a time!</blockquote> Your fabulous tax dollars at work. ;) This is one of the reasons I'm glad we don't have universal healthcare in the US. The waste would gall my naturally efficient nature too much. ;) I will be linking to your blog, btw, in an upcoming feature featuring... Casodex! :)

I had someone return two boxes of Casodex 150mg tabs that hadn’t even been opened (and the patient is still alive). These cost the government £240 a time!

Your fabulous tax dollars at work. ;) This is one of the reasons I'm glad we don't have universal healthcare in the US. The waste would gall my naturally efficient nature too much. ;)

I will be linking to your blog, btw, in an upcoming feature featuring… Casodex! :)

]]> By: ukcommunitypharmacist http://onthepharm.net/2007/03/disposing-of-old-medicine.html/comment-page-1#comment-36316 ukcommunitypharmacist Thu, 22 Mar 2007 22:33:59 +0000 http://onthepharm.net/2007/03/disposing-of-old-medicine.html#comment-36316 I can't believe that the EPA advises people to flush their meds. In the UK all patients are advised to return any unneeded meds to a pharmacy so they can be disposed of properly (by incineration I believe). I had a contractor come today to make a collection: he took seven bin bags of returned meds away. Some of our returns make me fume - I had someone return two boxes of Casodex 150mg tabs that hadn't even been opened (and the patient is still alive). These cost the government £240 a time! I can't believe that the EPA advises people to flush their meds. In the UK all patients are advised to return any unneeded meds to a pharmacy so they can be disposed of properly (by incineration I believe). I had a contractor come today to make a collection: he took seven bin bags of returned meds away. Some of our returns make me fume – I had someone return two boxes of Casodex 150mg tabs that hadn't even been opened (and the patient is still alive). These cost the government £240 a time!

]]> By: RJS http://onthepharm.net/2007/03/disposing-of-old-medicine.html/comment-page-1#comment-30032 RJS Sat, 17 Mar 2007 03:38:24 +0000 http://onthepharm.net/2007/03/disposing-of-old-medicine.html#comment-30032 <blockquote>Now, at an institutional/pharmacy level, there needs to be better options than flushing or dumping.</blockquote> Re: the institutional level. This seems somewhat ironic, given the incredibly high per-capita usage of prescription medications (both dispensing and using). I would have thought that they'd be the first to institute such programs. I'll have to ask some of my friends and Mass General, Brigham and Womens, and Beth Israel if they have anything like that in place...

Now, at an institutional/pharmacy level, there needs to be better options than flushing or dumping.

Re: the institutional level. This seems somewhat ironic, given the incredibly high per-capita usage of prescription medications (both dispensing and using). I would have thought that they'd be the first to institute such programs.

I'll have to ask some of my friends and Mass General, Brigham and Womens, and Beth Israel if they have anything like that in place…

]]> By: Pharm Aid http://onthepharm.net/2007/03/disposing-of-old-medicine.html/comment-page-1#comment-30016 Pharm Aid Sat, 17 Mar 2007 03:15:59 +0000 http://onthepharm.net/2007/03/disposing-of-old-medicine.html#comment-30016 Many states are instituting "take back" programs at a consumer level due to concerns about environmental pollution, namely groundwater. Washington State is looking at such a program, modeled after one in British Columbia, Canada. Interestingly, the pharmaceutical companies have been very active in supporting these programs. GSK has been a leader in this space doing environment impact studies on many of their products. Now, at an institutional/pharmacy level, there needs to be better options than flushing or dumping. Many states are instituting "take back" programs at a consumer level due to concerns about environmental pollution, namely groundwater. Washington State is looking at such a program, modeled after one in British Columbia, Canada.

Interestingly, the pharmaceutical companies have been very active in supporting these programs. GSK has been a leader in this space doing environment impact studies on many of their products.

Now, at an institutional/pharmacy level, there needs to be better options than flushing or dumping.

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