posted
My wife and I were cleaning out our medicine drawer in preparation for moving into our new house, and found the we had quite a few bottles of expired drugs in the back of the drawer, including hydrocodone and oxycodone left over from my bout with kidney stones a few years back, and an anti-depressant called serzone that my wife tried briefly a couple of years ago. What would be the best way to dispose of these things? I'm reluctant to just dump them in the trash--I don't want to contribute to the growing problem of pharmaceuticals screwing up various ecosystems. Should I just take them to the pharmacy and ask them to dispose of them for me, or would they just turn around and drop them in the trash can themselves?
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Take it to the pharmacy and ask them to dispose of it.
Even if they turn around and toss it in the trash, you have fulfilled your responsibility - no matter who you turn the drugs over to, you will have to trust they will fulfill their obligations.
Unless you have way, way too much time on your hands.
posted
I think you may well have to throw them into the fiery pits of the mountain where they were wrought.
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Take them back to the pharmacy. You can be sure that they'll have the ability to dispose of expired meds. It's not like everything they stock will be used before expiring every time. And, more importantly, they'll probably know how dangerous they are. They might very well say that they're trashable, at least then you'll know.
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
According to MedlinePlus hydrocodone is trashable and oxycodone is flushable.
Edit to add: But I'd still take everything to the pharmacy and ask there. Can't hurt, and it's not like a pharmacy visit is going out of your way, right?
[ July 07, 2004, 01:54 PM: Message edited by: Bob the Lawyer ]
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yeah, I think I will take them to the pharmacy. It'll be a little out of my way--before I moved it was on my way home, but it isn't anymore--but that's not a big deal. Maybe this weekend. Or maybe I'll get busy with other stuff, and I'll be searching for this thread in a year, trying to find out what people's suggestions were when I come across these drugs again. Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
The pharmacy says to flush all three of them. I don't quite feel comfortable doing that. especially with the serzone, but unless one of the Hatrack pharmacists has different advice, I guess that's what I'll do.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Technically, you could get in trouble for giving them to anyone, even with the intent to have them disposed of. Especially the Oxy - the DEA is going nuts over it. I'd flush 'em.
posted
You could always see if they'll dissolve in something (acetic acid, chlorine bleach), then, if they do, dissolve them and dilute the solution with lots of water before disposing of it.
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
You crush them up and see what happens if you sprinkle them on an ant pile in the backyard (where kids can't get to).
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I would post the dobie What's the best way to dispose of old druggies but only people who have taken way to many drugs way to recently would find that in any way humorous.
Flushing may be the best solution. You are dealing with a chemical that really is in too small amount to greatly disturb the local ecosystem.
Posts: 11895 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
flushing is what I've always done. I didn't know there was any question. I think it would have to be a LOT of meds in order to harm the environment.
posted
great idea, Kat! You could drill holes through them, shellac them, and string them like beads!
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
I could make Christmas tree ornaments out of them--if I had enough, maybe I could make the pharmaceutical equivalent of those popcorn ropes that are so popular during the holidays.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I pound more drugs down the drain over a days work than you have in that little bottle, Noemon. I'd say flush 'em and do it with a clear conscience. Besides, if you can't trust your pharmacist, who can you trust?
posted
There there, CT. I'm not actually a pharmacist. Or a lawyer. Or Canadian. Not wait, I am Canadian. But not the other two.
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Who are our pharmacists? Alucard, of course, but who else? Tulaan, maybe? And somebody else, but I'm just drawing a blank for some reason.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Sorry, I was in this haze for for about 48 hours because my pharmacy partner was on vacation and I pulled a double 12 hour shift. But I am better now!
There are few options and as CT stated at the beginning of the thread, there are no easy answers.
Why? The traditional way to dispose of meds was to flush them. However, recent testing of water supplies and public water treatment plants has turned up trace amounts of anything from antibiotics to opioids.
Therefore, I believe the SAFEST way to dispose of drugs is to incinerate them and allow a toxic cloud to form which becomes trapped in cumulonimbus-class clouds, raining over the various cemetaries and causing zombies to rise up from the bowels of earth.
But seriously, I throw the majority of meds in the garbage. Most likely, a disposal service will incinerate them. But flushing makes sense for any drug that can be diverted or abused. This includes opioids (oxycodone/codeine-based tablets) and especially Oxycontin and Duragesic Patches. Seekers will dive in a garbage can, take an old Duragesic patch, and cut it up to obtain the Fentanyl inside.
But if you have any questions, like BTL said, call your pharmacist. If you show up with a bag of goodies unannounced, you may cause the pharmacist to wig out, have a breakdown, and lock all the doors to the drugstore, while he/she huddles in a corner drooling and clutching at imaginary lint balls. Oh wait, that's just me. Nevermind.
To summarize around my rather poor jokes (I just woke up):
1. Burn them if you can. 2. Flush them if you want to prevent diversion. 3. Toss them in the garbage if you feel that this is safe (remember pets and wierdos can get to them, so this is a judgement call). 4. Anything that is not common, such as prefilled syringes, call a pharmacy and see if they can dispose of them for you.
BTW, the other ideas for meds here was pee-in-the-pants-funny HIlarious! Thank You.
And Bob(TL), dangnumbit, you never told me you were a pharmacist. That is way cool, bud!
posted
No, no! I'm not a pharmacist! I'm just a lowly biochemist undgergrad. Don't let me steal you or your pharmapals thunder. My only experience with pharmaceuticals is in the design process.
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
Actually, I would be happy and sad for you BTL, Happy in that we share a bond, Sad in that our profession is taking a nose dive with managed care and governmental 3rd party payment wrecking our delicate web of balance.
Posts: 1870 | Registered: Mar 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
I don't know what I can do for this insanity. Alucard, what would you perscribe? Maybe if you take Noemon's drug cocktail you'll feel better.
Well, your profession may be taking a nose dive, but my profession is making a killing off of government handouts and skyrocketing drug costs. Ethics aside, the non-CEOs aren't seeing any of that money and there's squat for job security. But who needs those things, right?
[ July 08, 2004, 09:18 AM: Message edited by: Bob the Lawyer ]
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'd say use the old drugs to dispose of the old druggies....
I always just throw mine in the trash, but I don't think I've ever had anything wonderful (like oxy, codeine, etc.) to throw out... Posts: 5879 | Registered: Apr 2001
| IP: Logged |
posted
Hey, you pharmacists know anything about pravachol causing a person's BO or sweat to smell extra stinky? I have this patient who claims that he had to quit raquetball, the smell was too embarrassing. He stopped the pravachol, and the smell went away...
I need to decide what to put him on instead. Is the statin class, or pravachol, known to do that? I didn't find anything on it.
Posts: 1990 | Registered: Feb 2001
| IP: Logged |
Theca, less than one percent of the patients taking Pravachol can develop toxic epidermal necrolysis, which may lead to offensive body odor. But that is a stretch. I suggest trying another statin, with close monitoring of the patient.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Laugh]](graemlins/laugh.gif)
Ben!![[Monkeys]](graemlins/monkeys.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
