Washington’s new medicine return program helps keep waterways clean

Have you ever opened your (or a loved one’s) medicine cabinet and wondered what to do with the myriad bottles of expired or leftover medications? The obvious options are to toss them, flush them, or leave them in the cabinet to deal with later. But all of these options have problems. Fortunately, now in Washington there’s a better way, thanks to a new medicine return pilot program.

What’s wrong with flushing?

Throwing prescription medicines in the garbage, or leaving them in the cabinet, carries the risk they get into the wrong hands, leading to drug abuse, accidental poisoning, and death. So the conventional wisdom has been to flush left over medicine. But it turns out there’s a nasty side effect to flushing drugs: they’re showing up in our waterways, affecting our fish and wildlife, and maybe us as well.

A study by the United States Geological Survey showed prescription drug chemicals in 80 percent of the streams surveyed across the country. They get there when medications are flushed, put in the garbage, and passed through our bodies. Conventional wastewater facilities aren’t designed to eliminate these compounds, which include endocrine disruptors, hormones, narcotics, and antibiotics. A growing body of evidence shows that these contaminants are disrupting basic life functions like reproduction and development, affecting the systems of hundreds of aquatic animals and plants. For species that are already struggling, exposure to these chemicals is another nail in the coffin.

Take them back instead

In response to this growing problem, several government agencies, private pharmacies, and the non-profit Washington Citizens for Resource Conservation have partnered to create a pilot Medicine Return program in Washington State. The program enables residents to drop off their unwanted medicines (including prescription, OTC, ointments, vitamins, etc.) in secure bins at participating pharmacies across the state, including Group Health and later this year, Bartell Drugs. For a complete list of return locations and accepted medicines see www.MedicineReturn.com.

Product stewardship–a shared responsibility

This is the first program of its kind in the United States, and is modeled on a successful program in British Columbia. Funded by about 100 pharmaceutical companies, BC’s program is based on the principle of “product stewardship,” where manufacturers take some responsibility for the safe disposal (or recycling and reuse, in some industries) of the drugs they produce. When manufacturers are required to take responsibility for the long-term impact of their products, they have more incentive to design their products and distribution systems in ways that minimize unnecessary harm and resource depletion. In other words, they profit more by putting safety first and exercising responsible stewardship of resources.

Washington’s two-year pilot program is funded by a number of local and state agencies and private foundations, rather than pharmaceutical companies. While those retail pharmacies that offer collection locations are already on board, ultimately drug manufacturer financing is needed to move Washington’s pilot to a sustainable program.

The program faces additional technical hurdles that the project team is working through. For example, some prescription drugs are classified as controlled substances (e.g. narcotics), so a viable collection program ultimately requires a waiver from the DEA.

And then there’s the generally thorny question of what to do with the returned medicines – especially those classified as hazardous waste. Recycling is not an option. If land-filled, the chemicals leach out, contaminating ground and waste water. Incineration generates air pollution and toxic ash, which then has to be disposed of. (Until there’s a better solution, the medicines collected will be sent to a hazardous waste incinerator.)

Despite these challenges, the pilot Medicine Return program is a big step toward making unwanted medicines as easy to return as they are to purchase. Residents are apparently ready for a solution: in its first nine months, the pilot program collected nearly 2,000 pounds of medicines. You can support the program by cleaning out your own medicine cabinet, and by keeping an eye out for efforts over the next 18-24 months to convert the pilot into a permanent solution.

For details on the program, including drop-off locations and accepted medications, see www.MedicineReturn.com or call 1-800-RECYCLE (1-800-732-9253).

For more information on the hazards of medicine in our waterways, see: Pharmaceuticals in Waterways Raise Concern (Washington Post)