[Pharmwaste] FW: seeking info

Fri Mar 9 15:41:19 EST 2012

 *Try page 1 of attached
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*Rationale for a Concerted Focus on Unused Pharmaceuticals*

*Ilene S. Ruhoy, MD*

Doctoral Candidate

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Department of Environmental Studies

*Stevan Gressitt, MD*

Maine Benzodiazepine Study Group, The Drug Disposal Group,

Medical Director, Northeast Occupational Exchange,

Corresponding Author: 314 Clark Road, Unity, Maine, 04988 207-441-0291
gressitt at uninets.net

*2nd INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON **ENVIRONMENT*

*August 2-3, 2007, Athens, Greece*

*Abstract:*

                Unused and unwanted consumer pharmaceuticals have a
negative impact on public health. The lack of effective and efficient
methods of drug disposal has resulted in unwelcome social, cultural,
ecological, and global effects.

Among the many issues pertinent to unused consumer medication, we have
comprehensively explored and addressed six specific and significant
problems;

1)                     *Childhood Poisoning*: Unintentional pharmaceutical
poisonings of children, resulting in unnecessary morbidity and mortality.

2)                     *"Pharming"*: Theft and social use, misuse, and
abuse of pharmaceuticals by teenagers, adults, and older adults.

3)                     *Excessive Accumulation and Polypharmacy*:
Polypharmacy, non-compliance and/or poor adherence to medication regimens,
and medication errors contributes to accumulation and poor patient outcome.

4)                     *Unintended Environmental Exposure*: Potential
deleterious effects on wildlife and humans due to drug deposition in
surface and ground waters as a result of both disposal and excretion
pathways.

5)                     *Inappropriate Humanitarian Drug Donations*:
Under-regulated and poorly controlled methods of international donations to
countries in need, resulting in massive amounts of “gifts” of unused and
expired pharmaceuticals. Expired and unwanted drugs ultimately become
accumulated waste, some of which may be hazardous, due in part to the lack
of an environmentally sound disposal or destruction method.

6)                     *Pharmacoeconomics*: Unused medications contribute
to wasted health care dollars. The purchase costs of drugs to the consumer,
the insurance carrier, and the taxpayer have continued to increase in the
past decade.

These issues define the problem of proper disposal of unused
pharmaceuticals and beg for acceptable solutions to protect human and
environmental health.

On Fri, Mar 9, 2012 at 2:46 PM, Joel Kreisberg <drkreisberg at teleosis.org>wrote:

> I hope this helps.
>
> Joel
>
>
> On Fri, Mar 9, 2012 at 6:53 AM, Tenace, Laurie <
> Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us> wrote:
>
>>   Please note the sender was Deb Hoffman, not me.
>>
>> Laurie
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> *Please take a few minutes to share your comments on the service you
>> received from the department by clicking on this link. DEP Customer
>> Survey<http://survey.dep.state.fl.us/?refemail=Laurie.Tenace@dep.state.fl.us>
>> .*
>>
>> *From:* Hoffman, Deb [mailto:deb.hoffman at epa.state.oh.us]
>> *Sent:* Friday, March 09, 2012 8:22 AM
>> *To:* pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
>> *Subject:* seeking info
>>
>>
>>
>> Greetings,
>>
>>
>>
>> I’m trying to find a single document or two that briefly cover the
>> reasons for pharmaceutical collections.  In other words, while we all are
>> regularly bombarded with articles on pharmaceuticals in our waterways and
>> we all know the drug diversion groups want to get them out of medicine
>> cabinets; I’m having trouble finding one good document to explain what
>> these dangers are, with statistics and/or facts.
>>
>>
>>
>> I’m specifically looking for something short – maybe 2 pages maximum.
>>
>> Any good ideas?
>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Deb
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Deb Hoffman
>>
>> Environmental Specialist
>>
>> Division of Materials and Waste Management
>>
>> Ohio EPA
>>
>> 614.728.5353
>>
>>
>>
>> ---
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>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Dr. Joel Kreisberg, DC, MA, CCH
> www.joelkreisberg.com
> www.drkreisberg.org
> www.teleosis.org
> drkreisberg at teleosis.org
> 510-558-7285 Ext 102
>
>
> ---
> Note: As a courtesy to other listserv subscribers, please post messages to
> the listserv in plain text format to avoid the garbling of messages
> received by digest recipients.
> ---
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>

-- 
Stevan Gressitt, M.D.
Faculty Associate, University of Maine Center on Aging
Academic Member, Athens Institute for Education and Research
Athens, Greece
Founding Director, International Institute for Pharmaceutical Safety
University of New England, College of Pharmacy
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry
University of New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine
314 Clark Road
Unity, Maine, 04988
gressitt at gmail.com
Cell: 207-441-0291
www.benzos.une.edu
www.safemeddisposal.com
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