Old meds??

mouseymousey

Hello - I've been through a lot of changes of meds of late - (I've now just started Tramadol - any advice)?
Anyway as a result I have a lot of old med's (still sealed) and although I know the advice is to take them to a pharmacy - it just seems such a terrible waste.
Does anyone know of any re-cycling schemes where someone somewhere (third world maybe) could benefit from these please??

woodbon

Hello I think once they have bee dispensed to someone, they can only be disposed of if not needed. I may well be wrong, but officially they count as 'used' . Also it is impossible to prove they are what the packet says and some may even be controlled and so illegal to pass to someone else! :shock:

Its dreadful, the amount of waste from prescriptions given that don't work etc when I worked in care it was a nightmare, the Chemist would say its our resposiblity and we tried to get the Chemist to distroy them safely. :? Their may be ways round it, someone else may know. Love Sue

mouseymousey

I hope so Sue, I'm thinking I bet lots of people on here have been through this too? Its just awful to think they end up binned.

vonski

Hi
I agree it is such a waste when the meds are still in date and could be used. Like Sue has said I've only ever been told to take them back to the chemist though. Our chemist won't take them unless the pills are lose and not in any packaging so!!!!!!!
Love
Vonski x

woodbon

When I went on a medication awhereness course, last year, safe disposal of drugs was part of the training. Not supposed to put them in the toilet as they can, in theory cause contamingation! I think its our old friend 'Health and Safety' its criminal the amount wasted in care homes. Love Sue PS I once filled my car with unopened sterile catheter bags - the wrong sort dispensed - the Chemist got quite funny and made me take them back and,,,,,,,BIN THEM

mistywillow

woodbon wrote:

When I went on a medication awhereness course, last year, safe disposal of drugs was part of the training. Not supposed to put them in the toilet as they can, in theory cause contamingation! I think its our old friend 'Health and Safety' its criminal the amount wasted in care homes. Love Sue PS I once filled my car with unopened sterile catheter bags - the wrong sort dispensed - the Chemist got quite funny and made me take them back and,,,,,,,BIN THEM

Hi all
Its the same with the animal meds, all down to EU regulations naturally! The vet can not take them back even if they are unopened and in their original box. (as might be the case if your dog snuffs it just after you have bought 1 months supply of her heart pills!!) Apologies to my dearly loved deceased pooch!


Gillx

livinglegend

You HAVE to return them to a chemist. No other option I'm afraid even though it costs the NHS £100m per year.

I asked a pharmacist about this and they said, "Take them to a chemist for destruction and they have to be logged as destroyed, if you flush them they could further pollute the environment."

The government are currently looking at the situation, since 2000, as regards unopened/unused drugs. But, the problem is that you don't know how the medicines have been stored. Even though the seals are intact they could have been stored in the sun, over a radiator or a cold, damp area and become useless.

If you read the small print on the leaflets enclosed with the drugs, it says, 'do not keep medicines that you no longer need - give them back to your pharmacist for safe disposal. Never give it to anyone else as it may harm them.' (It does sound like I need to get a life, doesn't it?)

Joseph 8)