Pharmaceutical Disposal (Final Draft)

In the article, ‘Pharmaceutical Disposal’, Iburch (2015), states that disposing of unused medications is ‘a common practice by many residents and hospitals’ in New York. Disposal methods like flushing or throwing into rivers causes water to be polluted. People practice disposal because there is no law that prevents improper disposal of pharmaceutical drugs. According to Iburch, studies ‘found trace amounts of pharmaceutical drugs in drinking water and treatment plants.’ These treatment plants are not equipped to remove pharmaceutical contaminants which is a problem treating these kind of waste. The writer states that even though ‘pharmaceutical contamination’ are found in water, there is no proven health effects on humans. However, he strongly asserts that it is necessary to promote safe disposal options for the people so that residents and healthcare facilities will not dispose unused medications improperly. A federal law is being implemented to provide more options to safe pharmaceutical disposal. I agree with the article to a certain extent that pharmaceutical disposal is a hazard to the public and the environment. However, the author did not emphasize on the consequences of what too much drug pollution in the water can do to the public.

Improper disposing of pharmaceutical drugs can be harmful to humans and the environment when people either flush or throw their unused medications into rivers or lakes. The author describes the negative impact improper disposal can have on aquatic life but suggest otherwise for humans. The article “The Environmental Impact of the Pharmaceuticals Industry” (2013) states that ‘Improper disposing of medications finds its way into streams and drinking water which negatively impact humans, wildlife and the environment.’ Though the effects on humans remain unknown, the public still needs to have the awareness of pharmaceutical pollution. In fact, some medicines can have serious consequences on human health. According to the FDA (2015), there is a list of medicines that require certain disposal techniques to prevent ‘accidental exposure or intentional misuse.’ Pharmaceutical waste comes through improper disposal and also through our bodies. When human take medicine, ‘excess drugs in the bloodstream leave the body through urine and the urine flow with the sewage out of our homes to the streams and lakes.’

The article by Burch showed the importance of promoting safe disposal pharmaceutical drugs to prevent pollution of water and the environment. According to the article, “Guidelines for Safe Disposal of Unused Pharmaceuticals in and after Emergencies”, (WHO,1999), the public and the media must be informed of safe disposal instructions and the current situation of pharmaceutical disposal just as they are informed about the risk of disposal of pharmaceuticals and how pharmaceutical become ‘less efficacious’ pass their expiry date. In the article, “How to Dispose of Medicines Properly”, the EPA (2011) gave a few information on how proper disposing can benefit the public and environment. According to EPA, the few of the information given are ‘Prevents poisoning of children and pets’, ‘Avoids health problems from accidental overdose of same or wrong medicine’. The public and media must know the consequences of pharmaceutical pollution. If they were not informed regarding the disposal, drinking water may be too polluted to drink. Furthermore, “The Secure and Responsible Drug Act was passed into law to encourage voluntary drug take back programs” and also to improve public awareness of such events. At least 20 states in the USA now have collection programs for unused medications, which greatly enhanced awareness of safe disposal of pharmaceuticals.

In conclusion, the Iburch article brought up good information on pharmaceutical disposal and how it can affect the people and environment. He may not have given detailed information about improper disposal but it was clear in the article that too much of such disposal will bring harm to people in the near future. It is important to note that effects caused by improper disposal of medications may be vague for now but it does not stop us from knowing the cause it might do to people who consumed water that is polluted by medications.

References::

Burch, LW. (2015, March 4). Pharmaceutical disposal. - Citizens Campaign for the Environment. Retrieved from:

http://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/pharmaceutical-disposal.asp

The Environmental Impact of the Pharmaceuticals Industry. (2013, January 31). Retrieved from:

http://www.kwikmed.org/environmental-impact-pharmaceutical-industry/

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2011, April). How to Dispose of Medicines Properly. Retrieved from:

http://water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/ppcp/upload/ppcpflyer.pdf

US Food & Drug Administration. (2015, September 25). Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know. Retrieved from:

http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/EnsuringSafeUseofMedicine/SafeDisposalofMedicines/ucm186187.htm

World Health Organisation. (1999). Guidelines for Safe Disposal of Unwanted Pharmaceuticals in and after Emergencies. Retrieved from:

http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Jwhozip51e/2.9.html