[Pharmwaste] Federal rules interfere with drug disposal effort - WI

[Tenace, Laurie]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/oct05/362192.asp


Federal rules interfere with drug disposal effort=20
Traces of medicine in groundwater cause concerns
By SUSANNE RUST
srust@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 10, 2005
Wisconsin researchers continue to gather evidence showing the ubiquity =
of
pharmaceutical-laced water and its potential ill effects on wildlife, =
while
local government agencies, health care groups and wastewater facilities =
are
trying to do something about it.
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But these groups are finding that a wall of federal regulations makes =
their
endeavors difficult.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, individuals have =
two
choices when it comes to their unused or expired prescription drugs: =
flush
them down the toilet or put them in the trash, where they likely end up =
in
landfills.=20

Any effort by a third party to acquire these drugs for environmentally
friendly disposal is illegal. That's because prescription drugs are
considered controlled substances, and it's against the law for anyone to
handle them other than the individual to whom they were prescribed or a =
drug
enforcement agent.

Research shows that these drugs have the potential to harm waterways and
wildlife.=20

New research from Stanley Dodson's lab at the University of =
Wisconsin-Madison
shows that minute concentrations of antibiotics and other drugs, in a =
variety
of combinations, can kill, disrupt, alter and disfigure the bodies and
reproductive abilities of Daphnia, a small invertebrate considered a =
keystone
of freshwater food chains.

And while the results of this study were collected in a lab - and =
therefore
may seem a noteworthy, albeit esoteric snippet of scientific inquiry -
results from another piece of recent research make them highly relevant.
Scientists funded by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have
detected antibiotics in sewage flushing in and out of seven groundwater =
and
surface water treatment facilities around the state, as well as two
groundwater monitoring wells located nearby. The findings indicate that =
some
pharmaceuticals can migrate through soil, unchanged, in amounts that =
could
potentially harm wildlife. And although the researchers did not look at
drinking water, evidence of common drugs has been found in waters =
throughout
North America, including the Detroit River and Lake Pontchartrain, =
according
to studies done at Tulane University in New Orleans, and in Lake =
Ontario,
according to researchers at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario.

Concerned about reports like these and others, Gov. Jim Doyle's office =
has
started a waste management task force that will look at this and other =
waste
management issues. Partnerships from Milwaukee to La Crosse have begun =
to
explore ways for people to dispose of their pharmaceuticals in an
environmentally friendly manner.

In Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, Aurora =
Health
Care and a small Milwaukee-based company called PharmEcology have been
meeting since spring to figure out a way to help the public dispose of =
these
products. And in Madison, a proposed partnership between Dean Health =
System
and the DNR is building momentum.

But they're up against federal regulations from agencies such as the =
DEA, the
Department of Transportation and the Food and Drug Administration.=20

This is something Grace Welham, a Dean Health System pharmacist, =
discovered
earlier this year. Working on a newsletter for Dean Health, she thought =
a
clever theme for her April pamphlet would be a medicine cabinet "spring
cleaning."

It didn't take her long to realize her patients had one of two options: =
"You
can flush them - or place them in a plastic container taped shut with =
duct
tape, which then has to be placed into another duct-taped plastic =
container,
and toss that in the trash."

But that's exactly what research is showing you shouldn't do, if you're
concerned about potential effects on the environment.

And if you thought you could just bring them back to your pharmacist, =
guess
again.

Pharmacies can't take back unused medications because of concerns =
they'll
work their way back into the system. Before anyone can collect used =
drugs, an
armed DEA officer or sheriff's deputy must be present, along with a =
written
manifest, and a licensed pharmacist.

Then there are the Department of Transportation rules that forbid
transporting these substances on roadways by anyone other than =
individual
patients or governments. That came as a disappointment to Milwaukee
Metropolitan Sewerage District officials, who had proposed piggybacking
pharmaceutical disposal with their mobile hazardous waste collection =
program.
The sewerage district sets up various sites in Milwaukee County on =
certain
days throughout the year, to allow residents to dispose of hazardous
household goods such as pesticides and paints.=20

"We'd like to get people to collect and dispose of their drugs =
properly,"
said Bill Graffin, spokesman for MMSD. "Because until we know more about =
the
effects of these drugs," they shouldn't be entering the environment, =
where
they have the potential to harm wildlife, and possibly people.

According to Chris Magruder, community environmental liaison for MMSD, =
and
John Gates, regional director of pharmacy operations for Aurora Health =
Care,
the proposed Milwaukee partnership may initiate a remote collection =
program
that complies with federal regulations.

They hope by next spring to establish a remote collection site, where,
several times a year, a pharmacist, accompanied by a DEA agent or =
someone
from the Milwaukee sheriff's department would be available to collect =
unused
or unwanted pharmaceuticals from the public.

The pharmacist would separate the drugs into controlled and uncontrolled
substance categories, then sign a manifest recording the receipt of =
these
products, which would be turned over to the DEA.

Meanwhile, the DNR is trying to set up its own guidelines on how to deal =
with
these items, and is working with Doyle's office to set up =
recommendations,=20

The DNR is also in discussion with Dean Health System about creating a =
remote
drop-off system. The agency thinks by next spring it may have a "take =
back"
program in place, said Barbara Bickford, medical waste coordinator for =
the
DNR.

"But it's going to be a long time before we figure it all out," she =
said.

Rogene Waite, DEA spokeswoman, said her agency is aware of the =
environmental
concerns and is looking for possible solutions.=20

Laurie J. Tenace
Environmental Specialist
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 4555
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400
PH: (850) 245-8759
FAX: (850) 245-8811
Laurie.Tenace@dep.state.fl.us
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view our mercury web pages at:=20
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/mercury/default.htm
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