Released April 11, 2008

MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Watch out what you do with unused prescription medications. They could end up in the drinking water supply, or maybe worse, in the hands of your teenager.

Educators from the University of Wisconsin-Extension and their partners around the state are working to find solutions for some of the relatively recent problems associated with old and leftover medications.

For example, researchers have found that leftover drugs disposed of down a sink or toilet can be released into drinking water.

"For a long time, we’ve been focused on mercury and industrial contaminants in the air and water," says Steve Brachman, waste reduction specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Extension. "Now we realize that there’s a whole new bevy of chemicals being released into the environment from leftover medications."

Including Milwaukee, 28 American cities recently found aspirin, antibiotics and drugs used to treat seizures and heart problems in their public drinking water supplies. Although the amounts sound small, it’s unknown whether they pose a threat to human health.

Throwing leftover drugs away in the trash isn’t a good idea, either, unless you want to risk identity theft, says Mary Kohrell, University of Wisconsin-Extension community resource development educator in Calumet County.

"We know that people dumpster-dive for old medicine containers," says Kohrell. "With the personal information found on the labels, they can refill the prescriptions. Some of these medications can be addictive or have potential for abuse, so there is concern by law enforcement," she says.

Stashing your leftover medications in the medicine cabinet or the refrigerator can have unexpected consequences, as well, say Brachman and Kohrell. Taking leftover drugs by mistake can potentially harm older adults who have difficulty keeping track of how much medicine they’re ingesting. Excessive drug intake could cause dizziness or other problems that might result in falls or injuries.

And whether left over or in current use, keeping drugs in a place that’s readily accessible to young people is not a good idea, based on growing reports of prescription drug abuse by youth who steal them from relatives.

Extension is addressing the overlapping environmental and health concerns around improper disposal of old drugs by working with law enforcement, health and human services and environmental professionals on ways to reduce the problem. "This is an area that has expanded capabilities for professional groups to work together," says Kohrell.

State and local organizations in many Wisconsin communities are beginning to hold collection days for old medicines, similar to the “clean sweep” drop-offs for household hazardous wastes. These one-day collections have been effective in helping people understand the hazards of improperly disposing of their leftover drugs.

Extension’s Kohrell has helped organize the Fox Cities Unused Medication Collection program with partners in Outagamie, Winnebago, Calumet and Waupaca counties. She and Brachman also provide training and resources for communities interesting in starting similar programs.

In Winnebago and Waukesha counties, UW-Extension also is working with state and county partners, as well as local pharmacies to test the “Wisconsin Old Medicines Mail Back Pilot” program. In this six month, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, U.S. EPA, and IL IN Sea Grant grant-funded effort, pharmacists inform customers about a toll free number to call for a pre-paid shipping label and packing materials to return leftover drugs. Capital Returns, a designated reverse distributor for pharmaceuticals in Milwaukee, will catalog all received materials and arrange for proper disposal.

"We’re printing a poster and handouts to put in pharmacies and hazardous waste collection points that will tell people about the mail-back," says Brachman. Participating county agencies are also promoting the pilot and including information about it at hazardous waste collection points, senior service centers and on websites.

"We’re recording the types and amounts of medicines returned and calculating the costs of handling the old medications that come back. If we can get this type of information, we can put together some best approaches for disposing of leftover drugs," Brachman says.

"There’s no template for how to do this," says Kohrell. "We can equip communities with tools and techniques so they are addressing the issue legally and in a cost-efficient manner. But in the end, we all still need to make personal choices."

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http://www.uwex.edu/news/2008/04/leftover-medicines-pose-concerns-for-people-and-environment

Contacts: Steve Brachman, (414) 227-3160, steve.brachman@ces.uwex.edu

Mary Kohrell, 920-849-1450, mary.kohrell@ces.uwex.edu