General Chat

I worked in a hospital pharmacy (also worked in retail prior to this) they cannot take back unused medicines even if they were dispensed the day before due to not knowing if they were stored in the correct temperature and enviroment. To reuse medicines (would you like to use someone's recycled drugs) would be classed as fraud.
The cost to employ people to go through medicines and sort out the expiry dates, batch numbers and quantities would be astronomical and of course this could be open to abuse/theft.
Controlled drugs i.e. Morphine, Diamorphine etc come under even more restrictions and there are only 26 types of people allowed to be in possession (including the patient).

The drugs (unwanted) are put into containers and have to be collected and then disposed of in an incinerator there is a lot of paperwork involved.
Cytotoxic drugs (for cancer patients) are put in seperate containers and incinerated at a very high temp.
This is a brief summary.
Pat

The article explains a bit:

http://www.redcross.org.uk/standard.asp?id=18830 and

http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/1999/WHO_EDM_PAR_99.4.pdf

Rose

We are in the Niagara peninsula of Ontario,Canada. About 20 mins from Niagara Falls.

Sorry Daff,
I know I'm not an expert on medical matters...
and I respect that others have are.....
However

just trying to make the same point as colleen,
'' if someone can benifit from our overspill'
then surely it a good thing.....

just frustrated that this is so wasteful.....

Colleen, where do you live?
cmd

I'e always thought concern that if we dump old meds down the drain we'll end up with psychotic fish in our lake!! LOL

More seriously, we have a system here, where unused drugs are taken to "warehouse of hope" and sent to Cuba and other poor countries where their supplies are very limited. Granted I also believe they SHOULD be entitled to first class treatment as we are, but if the hospitals in the Caribbean where these are sent (along with loads of other medical/hospital supplies) have minimal equipment and supplies, therefore can benefit from our overflow, why should we throw them in the waste? A doctor supervises shipment of all donated meds, any unpackaged ones are discarded and sent to a central place for disposal by burning.
I work in a home for the aged, and our older beds were replaced by electric ones a few months ago, all the old ones were sent to this place for shipment to hospitals in poor countries.They've also received crutches, stretchers, wheelchairs and walkers.
They send a big container 3 or 4 times a year. Twice a year they have a big yard sale for all the donated items which cannot be sent (not meds)
We've donated old towels, blankets, sheets, etc - the towels are cut into nappies, and volunteer ladies meet weekly to sew the edges and package them.
The system won't work everywhere but it certainly does here.
maxiMary

Clothing is worn, and not ingested... you don't have quite the same effect from wearing a second hand dress as ingesting second hand anti-biotics, anti-viral or anti-convulsant drugs.

Maybe there is something we can do, but I do not believe, as a professional, that handing over second hand, un monitored drugs is the answer.

Love

Daff xxx

I have bought several items of clothes that I have never worn...... and donated those to charity shops etc......someone bought them... and worn them
or they went off to third world.....
so cannot see how unopened drugs cannot go there too
we have too much they have nothing....

However I do take note of the tampering issue.....
and I wouldnt put down loo...
cmd

surely there is something we can do??

For the love of all that is good, please do not put medications down the toilet. They must always be taken back to the chemist even when out of date.

Oh Daff, I agree with you, they should have access to first rate meds not just our unwanted ones.

While it is wasteful it is also to protect the recipients of such drugs. Even unopened they may have been tampered with.

Ann,
good lass you are

'Salt of the earth'

I feel like swearing I am so wound up now.........

When drugs have been stored in a home environment, there is no guarantee that they have been stored correctly, or not tampered with in some way.. the risk cannot be taken.

And why should these third world countries have our cast off, unwanted, second hand and may be incorrectly stored stuff? They should have access to drugs they need first hand and in their own right.

Love

Daff xxx

It does seem a shame to destroy these unopened medicines. I have stuff I didn't need, sat in the cupboard, to tight to throw away, but it will just go out of date then go down the loo

Here I am!! I'll have to do a letter then won't I!! and I will

Nowadays when people have been known to tamper with medicines and food no-one is willing to take a risk.

We had a bag full of sealed dressings which my husband didn't need when he had healed earlier than expected after an operation. I gave them to a cousin who is a district nurse. She isn't supposed to use them but she knew some people who'd find them useful.

Sue

Oh Ann there you are....!!!!

Our drugs may not be legal in other countires,,
,,also they have a shelf life,
,,plus it would cost to send them,
,,and these drugs may not be used.. so would get outdated,,,

Plus as one drug for one patient as here shouldnt be given to another person,,,,,,,,,,,

.maybe these could be a few answers???

Amanda,
I thought they did.....but the chemist said NO its all destroyed............. something needs doing about this......
there must be millions of unused but useful drugs lying around
Wheres letter writing Ann?.......... she'll sort this out

disgraceful to destroy them when there are countries that really need them

It's so wasteful .....I think it is awful.
I took loads of medicines back to chemist when my Mum passed away.
They should send the stuff to the third world.
Amanda