Medicine Concentrations in Water Bodies at Taiwan Are Relatively High

Medicine concentrations in water bodies at Taiwan are

relatively high

Easily to deal with expired medicines with simple six steps

Some studies found that micro abandoned drugs from the home appeared inNatural water bodies such as rivers, lakes, and even drink water. Chairman of theNational Pharmacist Association of the Republic of China, Li shu-pin, appealed that do not throw out expired medicines to toilets or sinks anymore!

He indicated pharmacists at community pharmacies have the responsibility to instruct the public how to deal with expired, unwanted, or unused medicines from the home simply and properly. In the meanwhile, he calls the public to join the Angle volunteers to devote to the social welfare and guide the surrounds right methods to handle unused medicines.

Chang Yi-tang, an Associate Professor of graduate institute of microbiology at Soochow University, pointed out that the penetration rate of the domestic sewer is only about 15.6%. However, des, the drug concentrations in the nature environment are generally higher than other countries. Sulfonamides antibiotics are 125 times to overseas, tetracyclines antibiotics are 143 times, and quinolones are 579 times, respectively.

The concentration of medicine has influence on organisms in the nature water bodies. Simultaneously, medicine residue will also remain in the purified water and thus affect human health. World Health Organization (WHO) suggests that most drugs can be properly handled through being buried in a landfill site, incinerated with mid/high temperature, and solidified. Lin Jin-shin, an Associate Professor of department of safety, health and environmental engineering at Tungnan University, pointed out that Taiwan presently possesses 21 sets of incinerators, and all combustion temperature can reach 850 ℃ or more. Therefore, they are capable of dealing with expired medicines except halogen contained organic compound and anti-tumor drugs.

Li shu-pin pointed that we should no longer recycle family expired-drugs. The result of a research, general inspections and environmental toxicity evaluations of household unused medicines, proceeded by Taiwan Pharmacist Association, shows we can easily handle these unused/expired medicines with six simple steps:

 

Step1. To empty the remaining liquid medicine into zipper bags

Step2. To wash the containers with water and empty solutions to bags as well

Step3. To remove the rest tablets/capsules from their packages, such as aluminum

             packages and drug bags, and put these together into zipper bags

Step4. To mix the tablets/capsules and liquid medicine with used tea leafs, coffee                  grounds or used tissues

Step5. To seal zipper bags and throw out with normal garbage

Step6. To recycle the clean drug containers

 

From now on, welcome to join “the Angle volunteers” and you can receive an Angel passport. To participate in related activities and then have the opportunities to get a tablet personal computer, a smart phone, or gift voucher, etc. Please contact with 120 checkpoints in Taiwan for household medicines and the web site: http://www.52014.org.tw/ for further information.

The Pharmacist Weekly No.1723,100/08/08~08/24