Medication Disposal

[Doug]

Can somebody help me? A few years ago i read an article about how the London Muni water system was tested and found to have theroputic levels of many medications. Apparently the water treatment facility isn't equipped to remove the medications that many people simply flush down the 'lo in order to dispose of them. Has anyone else heard of this and how do you dispose of medication. And why isn't there education of proper disposal? I saw on another thread about hospice and narcotic non chalance...which i experienced as well, nobody would accept them back they didn't want the liability i guess, but the family can't just keep them around, selling them is not REALLY an option (cause i know somebody will suggest that) is standard trash or flushing REALLY what they want us to do?

[katbemeEMT-B]

We just went through training for the disposal of hazardous materials, medications used on our trucks was included. The hospital we are based out of has a special "hazardous waste" container that we dispose our meds. into. When the container is full, a company that specializes in the handling and disposal of hazardous material takes it away and replaces it with a new one. We can no longer through any equipment or supplies that have come in contact with meds into the trash. They must ALL be treated as hazardous waste. It's an extra step in the cleaning up process, but it only takes a few seconds. I don't know what other services do.

[Eydawn]

For a home hospice type situation if you have leftover meds, take them to a pharmacy for disposal. They have the faciilties to deal with it. That or they can tell you where to go.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[dahlio]

For a home hospice type situation if you have leftover meds, take them to a pharmacy for disposal. They have the faciilties to deal with it. That or they can tell you where to go.

Wendy

CO EMT-B

Usually for hospice, the hospice nurse is supposed to dispose of them in front of you, and you're supposed to sign claiming you saw her do so. They don't just leave the meds for you to dispose of, and I don't think the hospice nurse will want to take a trip with you to the pharmacy, so it really leaves no other choice but down the sink.

[captainstandup]

Hospice simply flushed the meds my Grandmother was on, down the toilet. It is inconceivable to me there would ever be enough home administered medications or even hospital administered medications entrained, via the waste stream, into the public sewer system to cause any problems.

In large metropolitan areas such as New York which processes roughly 1.5 BILLION gallons of water per day, it would require almost 3 MILLION gallons of a liquid substance (or solution when tablets or capsules dissolve in water) to contaminate the total daily sewer volume with only .25 ounces/gallon of an offending substance .

[Dustdevil]

Here's how I waste meds...

If the Euphrates river fills up with Dopamine and Lidocaine, I am unconcerned.

[firephil]

We just get them signed off by someone who is equal or greater in licensing and then dump them down the sink/toilet. Personally I don't think it is very good way to dispose of meds that otherwise have to have a doctors prescription to obtain. Don't really like the idea of my family drinking the same water. Of course knowing where most of the water comes from I guess the meds aren't that bad!

[mrmeaner]

Here's how I waste meds...

If the Euphrates river fills up with Dopamine and Lidocaine, I am unconcerned.

Dust, who drove the tank on your patio block and busted it up? Man, can't have anything nice! :roll:

As far as wasting drugs in the home, weren't they telling people to put them in coffee grounds and "disgusting" food products to deter people from taking them out of the garbage last month? Still funny.

[Dustdevil]

Dust, who drove the tank on your patio block and busted it up? Man, can't have anything nice! :roll:

Tell me about it!

The backside of my clinic is a warehouse, and the trucks coming in off convoy with our supplies unload right there, with the forklifts driving across my front patio, creating the mess you see there. Bastards. :x

[FireGuard69]

You can dispose of any pain meds through me. 8) :twisted:

For cryin out loud, its a JOKE. :roll: