ATLANTA — The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the American Pharmacists Association announced March 17 that they have signed an agreement outlining how the two groups will work cooperatively to build consumer awareness of the hazards posed by the improper disposal of unused and expired medications into the nation's waterways.
The campaign, called "SMARxT DISPOSAL," will focus on educating pharmacists on how to ramp up their take-back program for unused pharmaceutical drugs and to keep consumers informed of proper methods of disposal when their local pharmacy does not offer a take-back program, according to Joshua Winchell, a spokesman for the USFWS.
The campaign advises consumers not to flush unused medications unless directed to do so due to their abuse potential, according to Winchell; drugs to be disposed of should first be ground up and then added to a nonpalatable substance such as cat litter or sawdust, then placed in a sealed container before being placed in the trash.
Studies by the US Geological Survey have shown that unused medications that are flushed into septic systems survive through wastewater treatment systems and end up in public waterways that may be used as drinking water sources; they impact fish and wildlife dependent on those water sources.
According to Winchell, the USFWS is aware of more cases of drug-transgendered fish; this not only disrupts the life cycle of species but also is a concern if fish are consumed by humans.
Every month in Water Technology Magazine, "Professor POU/POE" answers reader questions about point-of-use/point-of-entry water treatment.
If you have a question for the Professor (also known as David Bauman, Technical Editor), send an e-mail to rdipaolo@ntpmedia.com and we'll pass it along. With your question, please indicate your general location (region, state, province, etc.). Not all questions will be chosen for publication.
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