[Pharmwaste] FW: Regarding flushing of pharmaceuticals in households...

[Mark Latham]

Does anyone know of a "Trash-2-Energy" plant that is permitted to accept =
non-RCRA pharmaceutical wastes from non-homeowner generated waste (i.e., =
manufacturers, distributors, hospitals, pharmacies, etc.)? Lemme no. =
Thanks, Mark
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>>> "Heil, Ann" <AHeil@lacsd.org> 07/21/05 11:13AM >>>
A key point to keep in mind is that, at least in California and presumably =
in Minnesota, we want to get pharmaceuticals out of sewers NOW.  We want =
to take action that will let us do that in the most cost-effective and =
timely manner possible.  We CANNOT wait until we have solved all problems =
regarding waste assessment, patient compliance, pharmacoeconomic policy =
projections, sources of payment, counterfeit medication, etc. We can not =
wait until a national pharmaceutical take-back program has been set up. We =
can not wait until some fancy device is invented that cleverly destroys =
controlled substances.  We need to move forward, let me say it again, NOW, =
to get pharmaceuticals out of sewers. People moving forward with these =
efforts should not be critized for imperfect efforts; they are actually =
taking action rather than remaining paralyzed because they can't come up =
with the perfect solution.  And, FWIW, I disagree that incinerating waste =
pharmaceuticals is automatically better than landfilling them. Waste =
pharmaceuticals are often left in their plastic containers, and incineratin=
g plastics makes dioxin.  Incinerators "leak" via air emissions, maybe not =
of the original substance but of other toxics.=20
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Ann Heil
LACSD
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-----Original Message-----
From: pharmwaste-admin@lists.dep.state.fl.us [mailto:pharmwaste-admin@lists=
.dep.state.fl.us]On Behalf Of Stevan Gressitt
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2005 6:52 PM
To: 'Tenace, Laurie'; pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us=20
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] FW: Regarding flushing of pharmaceuticals in =
households...



This process would ensure that no assessment of waste, patient compliance, =
pharmacoeconomic policy projections, or sources of payment for potential =
for identification of unidentified counterfeit medication would occur. =
Quite successfully. No ability to determine whether one drug of a class =
has a lower compliance or patient dissatisfaction rate than another, and =
no ability to use non-compliance to address side effects or public health =
educational campaigns. From Hush and Flush, the process will become Hush =
and Hide.=20

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This will take the entire unused medication issue and hide it. What is =
needed is a godd assessment of policies that ever urge greater access, =
greater price control and work toward more profligate prescribing =
regardless of use rates. With 60% of the population non-compliant with =
medications now, we will hide that and continue the process. Smarter =
prescribing, less waste at the front ned should be the goal and that will =
entail using numbers to educate prescribers, insurance companies, and =
perhaps manufacturers. Certainly policies as currently followed have led =
us to this situation where the problem exists, but hiding it will not =
solve it and frankly will contribute to the old policies continuing to =
churn out more and more waste.

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Do I have an answer for all the problems, no, but setting in motion a =
public education campaign that starts a process of sweeping the problem =
into the landfill which may or may not leak today tomorrow or the next is =
not one I would think has universal support. I continue to hear incineratio=
n as the preferred method for pharmaceutical destruction, diversion =
control, or simple inactivation of ingredients.=20

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If 60% of patient can't follow the instruction such as "Take one a day" =
accurately, I also fear that the steps involved will simply not be met by =
the majority of the public. Or that is how I read the evidence.

=20

Once a public has the attached message in their "daily exposure" then when =
a better system or systems, which I do believe is ahead of us, is found =
the whole educational process will need to start up again and  redirect a =
public starting down one path. It is not a process that engenders trust as =
the medical community can vouch for given the history of say Thalidomide, =
or more recently Vioxx.

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Just some thoughts.

=20

Stevan Gressitt, M.D.

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  _____ =20


From: pharmwaste-admin@lists.dep.state.fl.us [mailto:pharmwaste-admin@lists=
.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Tenace, Laurie
Sent: Monday, July 18, 2005 9:10 AM
To: pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us=20
Subject: [Pharmwaste] FW: Regarding flushing of pharmaceuticals in =
households...

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Minnesota is always on top of things -=20

=20


  _____ =20


From: pharmwaste-owner@lists.dep.state.fl.us [mailto:pharmwaste-owner@lists=
.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Walter, Rebecca
Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 4:48 PM
To: pharmwaste-owner@lists.dep.state.fl.us=20
Subject: Regarding flushing of pharmaceuticals in households...

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Here is a flyer that the Office of Environmental Assistance (OEA) in =
Minnesota developed to educate citizens how to dispose of their unwanted =
pharmaceuticals.  The OEA is currently working on printing copies to =
distribute state wide.=20

http://www.moea.state.mn.us/hhw/pharmaceuticals.cfm=20

Rebecca Walter, PCS=20
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency=20
(651) 296-3552=20