Waste Medicine - The Problem

Most of us have leftover or expired medicines in our homes.  Medicines save lives and treat illnesses.  But expired or left-over drugs need to be handled safely and disposed of properly to prevent harm to people and our environment.  Washington needs a take back program for unwanted medicines.  Drug companies already provide these programs in some other countries, and should do the same here in Washington.

Medicines in the Environment: Prescription drugs and other medicines are being found in many streams and waterways.  For example, studies in the Columbia River found a wide range of medicines – antibiotics, painkillers, antidepressants, and antihistamines – in the water and sediments.  Studies are finding that even the low levels of powerful drugs found in our environment have the potential to impact fish and other aquatic species.  

Medicines enter our waterways when they are flushed down toilets or when humans and animals pass medicines through their bodies.  Flushing medicines is bad for the environment because septic systems and wastewater treatment plants can’t remove all drugs, and some medicines pass through into waterways.  When some drugs are successfully captured during wastewater treatment, they could make their way back into the environment through land application of biosolids.

Throwing leftover medicines in the trash isn’t a good solution.  Narcotics that are put in the trash might be picked up for illegal use.  And putting medicines in the trash doesn’t guarantee they won’t get into the environment from garbage cans or landfills.  The liquid “leachate” that is captured from some landfills is typically sent to wastewater treatment plants, which don’t remove all medicines before discharging the water back into the environment.   

You can learn more about how pharmaceuticals get into the environment and look at a summary of scientific literature about medicines in the environment.

Prescription Drug Abuse: Our communities are dealing with a growing problem – prescription drug abuse.  Abuse of narcotics like OxyContin or Vicodin and stimulants like Ritalin is increasing, especially among teens.  In 2006, abuse of prescription pain killers ranked second—only behind marijuana—as the nation's most common illegal drug problem.  Three out of five teens say it’s easy to get prescription pain relievers from their parents’ medicine cabinets.  More than half of the people using prescription drugs for a nonmedical reason got them from a friend or relative.   

Accidental Poisonings: Improper storage of unwanted medicines may contribute to the risk of accidental poisonings.  According to a study by the Washington Department of Health, unintentional poisoning death rates in Washington State have increased 395% between 1990 and 2006, with 85% of poisoning deaths involving medications.  Drug overdoses now exceed car accidents as the leading cause of accidental deaths in Washington.