It will have happened to everyone to have found, at least once, some expired drugs in your home. It could be syrup forgotten at the bottom of a drawer or headache tablets opened and then found in the medicine cabinet. But How to get rid of them properly? As everyone knows, disposing of expired drugs correctly is essential not only to avoid health risks but also environmental risks. In fact, they can contaminate the seas, lakes, soil and also cause significant damage to animals and plants. The moral of the story is simple: never throw expired drugs, whether liquid or solid, into the sink/toilet or the garbage can. Here, then, is how to properly get rid of these products.
Drug consumption in Italy
Italians are a people of great consumers of drugs and in particular of antibiotics and anti-inflammatoriesas reported by theNational Institute of Health. These drugs have in fact revolutionized the quality of life in a significant way. Just think of penicillin discovered way back in 1928 by Alexander Fleming and which immediately represented a significant event in the fight against infectious diseases. The latter, such as pneumonia and tuberculosis, just to name a few, could be fatal in the past but then, thanks to the advent of antibiotics, they became treatable and curable. Thanks to the use of these new drugs, there has been a drastic reduction in deaths and millions of lives have been saved all over the world. It is not only antibiotics that are lifesavers, but also vaccines have significantly reduced or eliminated deadly infectious diseases such as measles, rubella and smallpox. And it is the knowledge that these products have saved countless lives that drives people around the world to use them on a daily basis. This is a good choice (if authorised by your doctor) but it is necessary to be aware of the risks that these medicines can pose to the environment if disposed of incorrectly.
Expired drugs are dangerous and polluting
The AIFA that is, the Italian Medicines Agency, in its latest report on the use of drugs in Italy (2022), has dedicated a section to the environment for the first time. As you can imagine, many of the expired drugs, in particular the non-steroidal ones which are among the most used in our country, are highly harmful to the environment. If they are not disposed of correctly, in fact, they can cause cellular damage to fish with the consequence that they could develop breathing, reproduction and growth problems, as explained Elizabeth Poluzziprofessor of pharmacology at the University of Bologna.
Additionally, if some medicines such as antibiotics are disposed of in water, through toilets or sinks, they can contribute, the doctor explained: “to the development and spread of bacterial resistance”. The serious problem is that when bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, the drugs that were previously able to treat infections become useless, making treating these diseases more difficult and expensive.
Disposal of expired drugs: here’s how to do it
THE Expired medicines are not common waste but dangerous and therefore should absolutely not be thrown into drains or the garbage. The outer box which is made of cardboard, together with the leaflet, should be thrown in the paper bin while the blister (containing the medicines) should be taken to the pharmacy. In that place, in fact, there are bins dedicated to the disposal of such products. As mentioned, they are in fact included among the hazardous urban wastes and therefore require specific treatment for special waste.
If you have bottles of medicines, such as syrup, it should never be emptied into the house drains as there is a risk that this medicine could end up in the sea through waste water with the risk of selecting resistant bacteria. Our country, as explained, is a large consumer of medicines and unfortunately the inappropriate disposal of them (especially antibiotics) is increasing the possibility of contamination of the soil and aquifers with the risk of developing strains of bacteria resistant to them.
Here’s how to dispose of all your medications correctly
In the case of non-expired drugs, The disposal rules are almost the same as those for expired ones. The external packaging, which is almost always made of paper, together with the leaflet, should be thrown in the paper bin. The sachets, blisters and tubes, on the other hand, once consumed, should be thrown in the appropriate containers depending on the material they are made of. For example, plastic or metal blisters should be disposed of in the plastic bin.
If there are caps, measuring cups or teaspoons in the package, they should be thrown away separately in the unsorted waste collection. And where should syringes be disposed of? Well, they should never be thrown in plastic. Although they are made of this material, they are not recyclable. They should not even be thrown in the containers for expired medicines found in pharmacies. It is necessary, after having protected the needle with the appropriate cap, that they are placed in the containers for unsorted waste. As for expired syringes, however, they are usually thrown in the unsorted waste while insulin syringes are thrown in the containers for infectious health waste.
Properly disposing of expired medicines is essential
To preserve the environment and protect human and animal health, it is necessary dispose of expired medicines correctly. When they are thrown down the drain or in household waste, they can contaminate water resources and compromise aquatic ecosystems. Like plastic, they last over time and can negatively affect local flora and fauna.
Educating citizens on the importance of disposing of expired medicines correctly is, now more than ever, essential to preserve the environment for future generations. Each of us must assume our responsibilities by contributing to maintaining a healthy and safe environment for all living beings. It is therefore necessary to follow these rules to avoid what had been predicted Albert Einstein: “the world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch without doing anything.”
