Disposal of medicines and impact on water resources

Pharmaceuticals, used for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions, play a crucial role in healthcare delivery. Although prescribers, dispensers and users of pharmaceuticals envisage certain outcomes, pharmaceuticals end up having unintended effects both in the consumer and in the environment if the pharmaceuticals end up in the environment. One very significant way in which pharmaceuticals enter the environment is by disposal of unused, unwanted or expired medicines. A case study of the Disposal of Unused Medicines Project was undertaken and the information gathered was analysed to assess the effectiveness of disposal methods in place, discuss identified disposal patterns and estimate the extent to which medicines are disposed indiscriminately and in unregulated circumstances.