[Pharmwaste] FW: Google Alert - unused medicine disposal

Wed Mar 24 19:48:51 EDT 2010

Then again, it could be stolen:
http://www.wsvn.com/news/articles/local/MI146940/
Matthew, there are far more OTC recalls than anything else.  And I'm
quite sure the health department can make a good criminal case for
selling expired or recalled merchandise.  In fact, civil cases are quite
common among smaller independent retailers.  
I agree, it's not a terrorist issue.  I'm not quite sure why you brought
that up.

Regards,
Barry

________________________________

From: Matthew C. Mireles [mailto:mirelesmc at earthlink.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 7:16 PM
To: Barry Fernandez; Sue Dayton; Gressitt,Stevan;
pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us; rxnews at listserve.com
Cc: easmith at communityofcompetence.com
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] FW: Google Alert - unused medicine disposal

Barry, 

As an epidemiologist, I haven't seen an outbreak or suspected cases, at
least in TX.  It certainly would be a plausible idea for a terrorist but
we have a strong haunch that the consumers of expired OTCs at flea
markets and elsewhere are probably not the most targeted victims for a
terror.  But we don't monitor our water quality very closely in Houston.
Legally, it may be difficult to prosecute anyone selling or distributing
expired OTCs given the scarcity of legal and clinical evidence for harm.
Proving intent to deliberately harm an individual or the public by such
activity would be an interesting legal case challenge for the toughest
prosecutor or the most creative case presented to a moot trial
competition.

Does anyone have better insight on the legal aspects?

Matthew C. Mireles

	-----Original Message----- 
	From: Barry Fernandez 
	Sent: Mar 24, 2010 10:18 AM 
	To: Sue Dayton , "Matthew C. Mireles" , "Gressitt,Stevan" ,
pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us, rxnews at listserve.com 
	Cc: linkfilion at communityofcompetence.com,
easmith at communityofcompetence.com 
	Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] FW: Google Alert - unused medicine
disposal 

	Stockpiles of expired OTC meds can only be coming from one of
very few places.  Disposal facilities or reverse distributors.  I'm not
suggesting that the businesses themselves are involved in the diversion,
but as with any business, inventory sometines tends to "leak" at the
hands of employees.  If I were you I'd get in touch with the agency
tasked with regulating drugs and cosmetics in your state.  In Florida it
happens to be the Department of Health, division of Medical Quality
Assurance (MQA).  They can track where the meds originated using the lot
numbers.  Expired is one thing, but if these medications were recalled
for some reason the risk to the unsuspecting public could be deadly in
some cases.

	Best Regards,
	Barry

	Clean Fuels of Florida, Inc.
	D. Barry Fernandez, President
	2635 NE 4th Avenue
	Pompano Beach, FL 33064
	Tel: 954-791-9588
	Fax: 954-791-9366
	Cell: 305-216-4941
	Toll Free: 800-725-8711
	barry at clean-fuels.net <mailto:barry at clean-fuels.net>
	www.clean-fuels.net <http://www.clean-fuels.net/> 

	________________________________

	From: Sue Dayton [mailto:sdayton at swcp.com]
	Sent: Wednesday, March 24, 2010 9:29 AM
	To: 'Matthew C. Mireles'; 'Gressitt,Stevan';
pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us; rxnews at listserve.com
	Cc: linkfilion at communityofcompetence.com;
easmith at communityofcompetence.com
	Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] FW: Google Alert - unused medicine
disposal

	I just went to a flea market in SC outside of Columbia. SAME
deal. There was at least 3 troughs (2' x 10 ') holding mountains, piled
on top of each other, of various over-the-counter meds. I was
flabbergasted! 

	Where are they getting these? 

	Sue Dayton

	Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League

	North Carolina Healthy Communities Program

	PO BOX 44

	Saxapahaw, NC 27340

	(336) 525-2003

	sdayton at swcp.com

	Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things
that matter.   -  Martin Luther King Jr.

	________________________________

	From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Matthew
C. Mireles
	Sent: Monday, March 22, 2010 2:30 PM
	To: Gressitt,Stevan; pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us;
rxnews at listserve.com
	Cc: linkfilion at communityofcompetence.com;
easmith at communityofcompetence.com
	Subject: Re: [Pharmwaste] FW: Google Alert - unused medicine
disposal

	We have been receiving very interesting stories about unused and
expired medicines through our new patient safety reporting system called
Share Our Stories (S.O.S.).   One in particular deals with unused and
expired meds (UEMs) showing up at a weekend flea market... 

	S.O.S. is an anonymous system for patients and families to
report medical adverse experiences as well as give us good suggestions
about patient safety and healthcare outcomes.  However, most of the
reports that we have received involved adverse medication events (drug
interactions) or side effects that presumably caused the patient to
discontinue the meds (non-adherence) and stockpile them at home or work.

	Excerpt from original story:

	I recently went to a local flea market and found many vendors
selling medicine. They ranged from tylenol, pepcid, zyrtec, prevacid, to
robitussin. Some of the medication, in fact most of it was expired. Some
of the med boxes had certain parts of the box torn off. Some of the
boxes had a statement that " The makers of Pepcid Complete od not
manufacture store brands." I would like to know what the quote means and
would also like to know what pottential risks there are to taking
expired meds. I am a senior nursing major and medicine is a big part of
what

	I recently went to a local flea market and found many vendors
selling medicine. They ranged from tylenol, pepcid, zyrtec, prevacid, to
robitussin. Some of the medication, in fact most of it was expired. Some
of the med boxes had certain parts of the box torn off. Some of the
boxes had a statement that " The makers of Pepcid Complete od not
manufacture store brands." I would like to know what the quote means and
would also like to know what pottential risks there are to taking
expired meds. I am a senior nursing major and medicine is a big part of
what I do. This recent discovery troubles me. Please help. Thank you for
your time.

	Matthew C. Mireles, PhD, MPH

	Community Medical Foundation for Patient Safety

	        -----Original Message-----
	        From: "Gressitt, Stevan"
	        Sent: Mar 21, 2010 6:26 PM
	        To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us,
rxnews at listserve.com
	        Subject: [Pharmwaste] FW: Google Alert - unused medicine
disposal

	        I would be interested if anyone runs into any other
examples of this.

	        Stevan Gressitt, M.D., Medical Director

	        Office of Adult Mental Health Services

	        Department of Health and Human Services

	        Marquardt Building, 2nd Floor

	        11 State House Station

	        32 Blossom Lane

	        Augusta, ME  04333-0011

	        Ph: (207)287-4273

	        Fax: (207)287-1022

	        Cell Phone: (207) 441-0291

	        E-Mail : stevan.gressitt at maine.gov

	        http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mh/

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	        REDBRIDGE: Warning over bogus medicine collections
<http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/
5074038.REDBRIDGE__Warning_over_bogus_medicine_collections/&ct=ga&cad=7:
1:0&cd=g0eIVl7uMXE&usg=AFQjCNFaI0W-njiVy2MmpHXVITwQa-T3Zg>
	        Guardian Series
	        People with any concerns or questions on the scam or on
the disposal of medicines should speak to their GP or local pharmacist.
...

	        See all stories on this topic
<http://news.google.com/news/story?ncl=http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/
news/5074038.REDBRIDGE__Warning_over_bogus_medicine_collections/&hl=en> 

	        --

	        Stevan Gressitt, M.D., Medical Director
	        Office of Adult Mental Health Services
	        Department of Health and Human Services
	        Marquardt Building, 2nd Floor
	        11 State House Station
	        Augusta, ME  04333-0011
	        Ph: (207)287-4273
	        Fax: (207)287-1022
	        Cell Phone: (207) 441-0291
	        E-Mail : stevan.gressitt at maine.gov

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