EPA Issues New Disposal Guidelines for Pharmaceuticals

Disposal of unused drugs in toilets, as well as human and livestock excretion of drugs, has polluted surface water and groundwater with traces of pharmaceuticals. In coordination with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Department of Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently addressed this problem for the first time with a policy. The new guidelines are also aimed at reducing unlawful access to drugs. According to EPA’s policy, people disposing of unused drugs in households should remove them from their containers, mix them with an inedible substance like cat litter or coffee grounds, reseal them in a bag or can, and dispose of them in the trash. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the American Pharmacists Association have released similar guidelines. The EPA guidelines are available at www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/factsht/proper_disposal.html.