Managing Unwanted Prescription Drugs: Major
Grant Received from EPA
NERC is honored to have received of one of only seven OSWER Innovation
Pilot grants from EPA for Improving the Management of Household Prescription
Drugs & Associated Wastes. Following is the EPA Fact Sheet on
the project. For more information, contact Lynn
Rubinstein. Project schedule to be completed by January 2005.
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OSWER Innovations Pilot
Improving Management of Household Prescription Drugs and Associated
Wastes
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| The Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
(OSWER) initiated a series of innovative pilots to test new ideas
and strategies for environmental and public health protection to
make OSWER programs more efficient, effective, and user-friendly.
A small amount of money is set aside to fund creative proposals.
The creative projects test approaches to waste minimization, energy
recovery, recycling, land revitalization, and homeland security
that may be replicated across various sectors, industries, communities,
and regions. We hope these pilots will pave the way for programmatic
and policy recommendations by demonstrating the environmental and
economic benefits of creative, innovative approaches to the difficult
environmental challenges we face today. |
BACKGROUND
Household prescription medication waste (HPW) has emerged as a
significant environmental concern. Among the environmental concerns
is water pollution from the disposal of prescription medication in the
municipal solid waste (MSW) stream and in wastewater. Discarded prescription
drug waste presents a threat in MSW because of its toxic and hazardous
constituents, as well as its potential for becoming a source of medication
for illegal use. Household hazardous waste (HHW) collections generally
do not accept prescription medication. At present, there are no widely
available solutions for proper management of HPW.
Pharmacies use bulk compounding chemicals in the formulation of prescriptions
medications. These chemicals also present an MSW concern. Many bulk
chemicals used are RCRA hazardous wastes and, due to the difficulty
and expense of disposing of these small amounts of wastes, pharmacies
may store them rather than managing them as hazardous waste. In addition,
many prescription medications are dispensed in plastic containers that
are ultimately disposed. Recycling only a portion of the millions of
plastic prescription vials, stock bottles, and liquids bottles that
are used by pharmacies in New England each month would result in significant
energy conservation and greenhouse gas savings.
PILOT APPROACH
The Northeast Recycling Council, Inc. (NERC), in conjunction with
EPA New England and eleven other public and private cooperative partners,
plans to develop and implement pilot collection programs for HPW and
bulk compounding chemicals. Pilot activities will include writing a
guidance document detailing collection methods for these hazardous wastes
and developing best management practices (BMPs) for plastic medication
associated containers.
After developing a strategy for addressing the relevant federal laws
governing prescription medication handling and patient confidentiality,
the pilots will be designed around three models: retail-based, senior
center, and HHW programs. Implementation will include arranging for
safe handling and disposal of HPW, publicizing and managing the pilots,
and data collection. The pilots will be evaluated for solid waste diversion
data, participant demographics, costs, lessons learned, and recommendations
for change or replication. For bulk compounding chemicals, the strategy
will be to partner HHW programs with pharmacies. Between three and five
pilot will be developed. Finally, NERC will gather and examine data
relating to plastic medication-associated containers and regional recycling
markets, and develop BMPs for recycling or disposing of these containers
in an environmentally friendly manner.
INNOVATION
Appropriate end-of-life management of HPW through collection programs
has proven to be challenging and often impossible. The complex issues
related to environmental and human health, federal and state controlled
substances, privacy, hazardous and solid waste laws, as well as concerns
about the diversion of medications to illicit uses, are among the challenges.
This project is unique in that it will draw together a multi-disciplinary
team of experts actively engaged in these issues. There is no history
of pharmacies using HHW programs or for handling plastic medication
containers at the end-of-life, including recycling, waste-to-energy
incineration, and hazardous waste incineration. This project will address
these questions.
BENEFITS
This pilot will forge critical relationships between a multi-stakeholder
community on complex solid waste issues related to HPW and expand the
national dialogue on this topic. The project also will develop practical
strategies for collecting HPW and ensuring their proper end-of-life
management. As a result, the problems associated with diversion to illicit
use, illegal and unsafe disposal, environmental contamination, and public
health and safety concerns will be addressed through a strategy that
can be replicated nationwide. The pilot will increase public awareness
about the dangers presented by improper management of HPW while providing
a model strategy for cost-effectively diverting hazardous chemicals
from MSW to HHW programs. This will result in a more controlled management
system and will improve efforts by the retail and local sectors to promote
environmental stewardship.
CONTACTS
Peggy Bagnoli, 617-918-1828. For additional information, visit
the EPA OSWER Innovations web
site.
A
paper written by Lynn Rubinstein, Executive Director and presented
by Mary Ann Remolador, Assistant Director, at the ISEE Conference
in April 2004.