The State of Medicine Recycling

The Symptoms

Americans take more prescription drugs than ever before. In 2005, over 3.6 billion prescriptions were filled—a 71 percent increase from 1994, even though our population only grew nine percent during that time. Also as of ‘05, Americans were prescribed an average of 12.4 prescriptions per person. To top it off, people are also less likely to take their medication properly when they have more than three prescriptions.

However, this does not mean that every capsule is consumed. Many keep unused drugs in their medicine cabinets, past their expiration dates, while others flush extra pharmaceuticals down the drain.

Our water supplies are tainted with everything from anti-histamines to hormones. With thousands of pills being washed down the drain or landfilled, it’s no surprise that pharmaceuticals have been detected in surface water, ground water and drinking water. In fact, at least 41 million people in the U.S. consume water contaminated with prescription drugs, since water treatment facilities currently cannot remove all these impurities from the water supply.

On the flip-side of this large amount of consumption and waste are the millions of people who do not have access to prescription medication, due to lack of insurance or funds. Medication can be cost-prohibitive: some treatments can cost upwards of $30 per pill. People who cannot routinely afford medication either completely do without, skip doses, or fail to refill medication prescribed for chronic medical conditions.

The Diagnosis

What if we could take-back these waste medicines, therefore preventing them from gathering dust in the bathroom and entering our water supply, subsequently providing a way for cost-prohibitive medications to reach the uninsured and those who can’t afford them? Some states are already giving it a try.

The Rx

Since 2000, At least 37 states enacted programs for drug recycling or reclamation. Six of these states, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin, focus on cancer-related prescription drugs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL).

The NCSL notes that most state programs allow the return of prescription drugs in single use or sealed packaging from state programs, nursing homes and other medical facilities. While each state varies, there are some commonalities between their policies:

• All donated drugs must not be expired and must have a verified future expiration date.

• Controlled substances, defined by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), are usually excluded and prohibited.

• A state-licensed pharmacist or pharmacy to be part of the verification and distribution process.

• Each patient who is to receive a donated drug must have a valid prescription form in his/her own name.

By recycling your unused medicine, you not only help the planet, but others in need. To see how you participate in your hometown, check out the NCSL website, where a table lists current medicine recycling laws if your state has them.