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Rx Quandary |
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Now that weird malformations have been observed in fish swimming in streams where traces of hormones, steroids, and other medications have been found, it’s time to consider how to dispose of prescription drugs responsibly. Dumping them down the drain or into the trash is not the answer. That said, what the answer is depends on whom you ask. Federal drug control agencies still advise putting unwanted and expired medications out with the rest of your trash, after first making sure nobody can retrieve them. In guidelines published in February 2007, “Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs,” the White House Office of Drug Control Policy suggests mixing the drugs with “an undesirable substance, like used coffee grounds or kitty litter,” putting them in “impermeable, nondescript containers,” then throwing these into the trash. Certain drugs, however, should be flushed down the toilet, according to these guidelines. These are listed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and contain controlled substances considered to be potentially addictive. Among them are Actiq, Percocet, Ritalin, Valium, and OxyContin. In tacit acknowledgment that this advice may be problematic, these federal guidelines add that if your community has a program that accepts drugs for disposal, you should take yours there instead. The effect of the White House office’s guidelines, however, is to encourage just what agencies responsible for wastewater treatment, water quality, public health, and fish and wildlife are trying to prevent: the continued flow of pharmaceuticals into wastewater and the environment. Those trying to keep drugs out of water are in a quandary. “To my knowledge, they [the federal drug control agencies] didn’t consult with wastewater agencies” before issuing their disposal guidelines, said Jen Jackson of the East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD). “In California, our message is: No drugs down the drain. Period.” Still, the trash isn’t such a good place to put pills and vials, either. The federal Controlled Substances Act of 1970 provides that only law enforcement officers may accept and dispose of narcotics and certain other controlled substances with addictive potential. Law enforcement agencies, however, will rarely accept them, except at special events. Posting police at potential drug disposal sites, such as hazardous waste dumps and pharmacies, is simply not practical. Speaking for the White House Office of Drug Control Policy, Jennifer DeVallance explained that “prescription drug abuse is the second-largest drug abuse problem in the nation [after marijuana]. More than six million people abuse prescription drugs to get high.” The federal restrictions are in place because of “high potential of diversion and abuse,” she said. The drug disposal dilemma began to rise to public attention after the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) published a study in March 2002 indicating that organic wastewater contaminants, mostly pharmaceuticals and pesticides, were present in 80 percent of 139 streams sampled in 30 states. Most of the sample sites were downstream from large urban centers or livestock activity. Earlier, links were found between the presence of artificial hormones, such as those in birth control pills, and feminization of male fish. More recently, a five-month Associated Press investigation reported traces of pharmaceuticals in drinking water. | |||
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