RX Drugs in Water Supples

Hi!

This isn't social marketing but one of the (if not the) largest pharmacy chains in Quebec takes back old prescription drugs from consumers to get them disposed of properly. http://www.jeancoutu.com/expiredmedications.aspx?ekmensel=15074e5e_36_0_12170_10

Franois

Dear Mike,

My understanding is that drugs in water supplies normally aren't a problem unless the potable water supplies are at least in part derived from treated sewage water being discharged further upstream. In Australia, this is rarely a problem, although part of Sydney's water supply includes dams which have small towns of 20-30,000 people upstream and hence they're discharging some treated sewage into the rivers which flow into the dams. The website of the Sydney Water Board might have some useful information. The best source of information that I'm aware of are some of the recent bulletins (known as "Water") of the Australian Water Association - see http://www.awa.asn.au/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Water_Journal2 . Unfortunately, they're not available to view free on the net so you may have to borrow them through a library service.

Hope this helps.
Bernie

Mike,

Here's an initiative active in California that may be of interest to you: http://www.nodrugsdownthedrain.org/

Mary Morse

Environmental Services Specialist
City of San Jose
Watershed Protection
170 W San Carlos Street,
San Jose CA 95113
phone 408-277-2767
fax 408-277-5775
http://www.sanjoseca.gov/esd/stormwater

Mike and Bernie,

Here in NW Montana a couple of local studies have documented PPCPs (pharmaceuticals and personal care products) in ground water resources too. The Flathead Basin Commission held a symposium last year with many local planners and decision makers in attendence. One session covered this topic, so the local powers-that-be are now aware. Since then the Basin Commission has begun to develop outreach materials and make contacts with people at local hospitals, clinics, doctors' offices and nursing homes to inform people that the best way to dispose of unused medicines is not to flush them but to safely send them to the landfill. Some people are concerned that drugs disposed of in this way will make their way into the wrong hands, so the recommendation has to include how to package them for disposal to make them unusuable should they be intercepted. And of course, when I can get into a high school earth science or geology class and talk about water resources, I tell them! They are usually horrified to know they might be drinking caffeine, mood stabilizer, antibiotic, pesticide, female hormones and anti-seizure drugs, to name a few.

Patti

We are taking part in an educational campaign regarding this issue. From the campaign's website: "Join local, regional, state and federal agencies in a one-week California-wide educational campaign during October 4-11, 2008, to educate the public that disposing of leftover medication down the toilet is no longer acceptable.. The campaign, "No Drugs Down the Drain!," will provide the public with information on alternative disposal options throughout the state." Find more information here: http://www.nodrugsdownthedrain.org/StatewideCampaign.html

Carlos Chavez

Programs Analyst
Humboldt Waste Management Authority
(707) 268-8680 Ext. 218
[email protected]

Drugs in aquatic ecosystems could be a very real problem:

www.newmoa.org/prevention/chemicalspolicy/Smith.ppt
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/sr-sr/finance/tsri-irst/proj/endocrin/tsri-174- eng.php
http://www.uoguelph.ca/cntc/ann_symp/2002/abstracts.shtml
http://www.nwri.ca/ppcp-ppsp/32-effects-effets-e.html
http://www.uoguelph.ca/cntc/publicat/science_briefs/2003-07-July-CNTC- Science-Brief.pdf

Gillian Maurice

The State of Illinois EPA has made funding available to collect unwanted medications from consumers. Will County has created a partnership program with 9 pharmacies to date and is working to expand that. DEA controlled pharmaceuticals are not currently accepted per DEA regulations. Several local Police Departments are accepting those items and disposing of them with funds they use to dispose of illegal drugs.

Please see our website for more info:
http://www.willcountylanduse.com/WasteServ/Pharm%20Take-Back%20Program%20Expanded.pdf

Additionally, a high school in a neighboring county began a great campaign through their students to raise resident awareness of the issue and work with pharmacies in their community to accept medications from the public for disposal. What began as a research project by the ecology class, became a civic project in the civics class, a music writing exercise for the band, a jingle creation for the choir and continues to involve more faculty and students in a very engaging manner. Please see their website: http://www.p2d2program.org/

Marta Keane,

Recycling Program Specialist
Will County Land Use 
Waste Services
58 E. Clinton Street, Suite 500
Joliet, IL 60432
815-774-4343
[email protected]

The issue isn't the drugs getting into people's water, the issue is drugs in the water... The river, the fish, the macroinvertibrates. There is some research that addresses whether hormones may mess up fish migration.

Ginger Wireman

Community Outreach and Environmental Education
Ecology, Nuclear Waste Program
3100 Port of Benton Bl. Richland, WA 99354
509-372-7935

Mike,

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has partnered with the American Pharmacists Association and Pharmaceutical Research and Manufactureres of America to promote proper disposal of unused drugs through SMARxT Disposal. The website is www.smarxtdisposal.net. There is also information on the USFWS website, www.fws.gov, then type "SMARxT disposal" into the seach field.

Good luck!
Alison