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Pharmacist Carl Olsen accepts unused or expired pharmaceuticals through a new program. The county has provided a medical waste contractor that destroys the compounds properly through incineration.
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Ready to flush unused prescription pills and expired over-the-counter medications down the toilet or sink?
Not so fast.
While that used to be the recommendation — with the idea it kept old drugs away from children — the idea is now down the drain, so to speak.
The new slogan is, "Don't rush to flush."
There's even a Web site — www.dontflushdrugs.com — to remind residents that flushing medications and personal-care products is no longer the correct method of disposal. Neither septic systems nor municipal sewers completely remove traces of flushed chemicals and these can reach the environment.
According to the Washtenaw County Drain Commission, cholesterol reducers, blood pressure medication, sleeping pills, hypnotics, hormone replacement therapy and antibiotics are being detected in drinking water. The long-term risk to humans and animals is still unknown.
People need a safe and simple way to get rid of old prescriptions and over-the-counter medications, and Washtenaw County came to the rescue with a new program, developed by the Department of Planning and Environment, along with the Drain Commissioner's Office. Residents can take unused or expired pharmaceuticals to participating pharmacies for collection. The county has provided a medical waste contractor that destroys the compounds properly through incineration.
The "Don't Flush Drugs" Web site provides a list of participating pharmacy locations, and describes what is and what is not accepted for collection. A short video demonstrates how to wrap and trash medicines and other personal care products that are not accepted at pharmacies.
"We've been working on this issue since 2002," said Jeff Krcmarik, Washtenaw County Environmental Programs supervisor. "There are many messages out there regarding what to do with unused medications. With this new program, we give a clear message: Don't flush drugs and here are your options.
"All of the studies conducted on surface water reveal what happens when municipal sewage treatment systems allow minute amounts of these compounds to pass, but no study that I know of provides an explanation what happens to pharmaceutical compounds when they pass through your on-site septic system," Krcmarik said.
Rachel Wilkinson, Wellness Center manager at Dexter Pharmacy 2 in Dexter, said the company was pleased to be an integral part of the program to help spread the word to others about the impact their medications will have on future generations if not disposed of properly.
"At Dexter Pharmacy we believe it's important to do all we can to lower our impact on the Earth," she said.
The company's three locations - Dexter Pharmacy, Dexter Pharmacy 2 and Village Pharmacy 11 in Maple Village in Ann Arbor — recycle as many items as possible, Wilkinson said. These include paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, batteries, electronics, sharps, printer cartridges and blood glucose meters.
"We're also currently trying to get our trash removal service to include recycling for our shopping complex," Wilkinson said.
If you're not convinced medications are a problem, consider a recent study conducted by the U.S. Geological Society found 80 percent of surface waters sampled had residual amounts of pharmaceutical compounds.
In addition, Poison Control reported more than 300 calls from Washtenaw County residents in the first six months of 2008 regarding children's exposure to pharmaceuticals.
In the same time frame, the Michigan Poison Control Center received 877 reports of accidental ingestion of ibuprofen in children younger than 5 years old, as well as 501 reports for pediatric multivitamins; 474 reports for antihistamines, 463 reports for antibiotics, and 333 reports for calcium supplements.
That's a lot of pills finding their way into the hands of young people.
"Wrap and Trash" is the new recommendation. Remove or black out personal information on the label, but leave the drug name visible. Wrap medication containers in duct tape, followed by several layers of plastic bags, to prevent crushing in the trash truck and contents spilling out. Modern landfills are lined, and the leachate is collected and treated to remove harmful compounds.
For more information, visit www.dontflushdrugs.com or call Jeff Krcmarik at 222-6865. For poison control, call 1-800-222-1222.
Sheila Pursglove is a freelance writer. She can be reached at bingley51@yahoo.com.
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