[Pharmwaste] Percentage of waste drugs from unwanted consumer meds

[Gilliam, Allen]

Charlotte (we're gonna miss ya at our next H2E seminar in n.w. arkansas
in january!),
 
i hope Stevan (cc'd above) will respond with more detailed info he had
provided (back in july?) regarding "non-compliance rates" (% of meds not
used by residential recipients).   i believe he referred to another
person and report (by a pharmaceutical company?) that indicated 40 to 60
% of drugs prescribed are "tossed".  the med's final resting place
(landfill or toilet?) i don't believe was mentioned because of lack of
data.  i believe he even estimated the monetary losses to states'
healthcare programs to be about $1 million for a state the size of
arkansas (~2.5 million population) because of this waste.  considering
today's economic woes and the rising costs of healthcare, one would
think state legislators' eyes would pop out of their sockets if they had
this type of info and try to mitigate.
 
Stevan?  think you can dig up that source again?
 
Thanx in advance,
 
allen gilliam
adeq state pretreatment coordinator
501.682.0725
 

	-----Original Message-----
	From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Charlotte
A. Smith
	Sent: Thursday, November 10, 2005 4:16 PM
	To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
	Subject: [Pharmwaste] Percentage of waste drugs from unwanted
consumer meds
	
	

	Hello,

	 

	I just received a call from a staffer at the US House of
Representatives Science Committee inquiring as to what percentage of
drugs entering the environment, primarily through drain/sewer disposal,
can be attributed to consumers flushing unwanted medications. I do not
know of any studies on this or available data. Do any of you have
information you can share that I can refer back to this gentleman? It
appears the House of Representatives is starting to become interested in
this issue so I think we should do all we can to make the case for
enabling legislation, especially with respect to DEA and funding of
programs. Thanks much! 

	 

	Charlotte A. Smith, R. Ph., M.S., HEM

	President

	PharmEcology Associates, LLC

	200 S. Executive Drive, Suite 101

	Brookfield, WI 53005

	262-814-2635

	Fax: 414-479-9941

	csmith at pharmecology.com

	www.pharmecology.com

	H2E Champion for Change Award 2004

	 

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