When you have left over medications from the doctor, what do you do with them? Do you flush them down the toilet? Dump them in the trash? Millions and millions of people do. This is leading to some pretty serious problems due to the fact that these meds decompose in our soil and water supplies and this affects not just animals but plant life and us humans too.
Oftentimes these chemicals actually destroy vital bacteria in soils and water that help purify those resources. Sure our wastewater systems are able to clean out plenty of things that could make us sick but they are not able to filter out many of the chemicals from common prescriptions from the doctor. These meds filter straight down into the reservoirs and other water sources, which we and animals and fish feed and drink from.
Finally, the National Association of Counties has adopted a resolution called the “Support of a Safe, Convenient Medicine Return Program” and through this they intend to educate people about their responsibility to dispose of their medications the right way.
I know that here where I live, I can take left over medicine to any pharmacy and they will dispose of it the right way. Both Canada and the United States that these take back programs, just ask your pharmacist the next time you get a prescription filled.
Consider this: most of us are on some kind of medication or other. Anti depressants and anti anxiety drugs are extremely common as are things like cholesterol controllers, and oral contraceptives. They have done studies and the numbers are pretty scary. In fact, medicine metabolites are found in the drinking supplies of “24 major metropolitan areas affecting 41 million Americans.”
We need to do our part and learn how to dispose of prescription drugs. This means no flushing them or throwing them in the garbage. Ask your pharmacist about the programs of proper disposal of medication in your local area.
10 responses so far ↓
1 massage gold coast // Aug 4, 2009 at 11:06 am
Really, a valuable post.When we disposes the old medicines on our earth,it causes the damage to water underneath the earth.We must dispose the medicines in rather scientific way.
2 Neo // Aug 5, 2009 at 5:10 am
MAy be you will say me negative minded but I know educating people won’t work to much or it takes time. The only immediate solution for the prob is passing some hard and strict bills so that people always visit their pharmacist and get their meds disposed in right way.
Thanks
3 Atom // Aug 5, 2009 at 8:23 am
Tests have been carried out to measure the levels of the female sex hormone oestrogen in the river thames as some male fish have apparently changed sex due to high levels. Although the scientists insist they are from waste naturally produced, many believe they are a bi product of the pill
4 What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? // Aug 7, 2009 at 7:32 pm
[...] open ocean. Gross right? Researchers are cracking down on it and trying to find out where all this garbage is coming from and why it is gathering there in such [...]
5 Viagra // Aug 8, 2009 at 7:24 pm
as a consequence of you for your report and it helped me in preparing my college assignment.
6 Debt Consolidation Arizona // Aug 10, 2009 at 2:48 pm
really? I don’t think so.
7 admin // Aug 11, 2009 at 4:20 am
You don’t think so what? That the post helped someone or that we are being poisoned from improper disposal of prescription medications?
8 unabeCamb // Aug 18, 2009 at 3:54 pm
yeh right.. great post, Thank You
9 Debt Settlement // Sep 3, 2009 at 1:22 am
Sorry for my bad english. Intresting title. It attracted me to read the complete post. Thanks
10 wp themes // Sep 23, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Well just posting this comment to depict that I drop in on your blog daily.
Leave a Comment