ARE you a medication flusher? If so, think twice the next time you plan to put your old medicines down the loo.
Why? It can have a major impact on the environment.
A study by Monash University, supported by wide-ranging research, has found that incorrectly disposed medicines, like antidepressants, can find their way into our waterways and even change the behaviour of fish.
One study found the effect of pharmaceuticals in water, particularly fluoxetine (the main ingredient in Prozac), had resulted in fish changing sex and their behaviour being altered to make them more susceptible to predators.
Unfortunately, for many people getting rid of unwanted medicines has meant throwing them in the garbage or flushing them down the sink or toilet.
In fact, it is estimated that more than 500 tonnes of medicines find their way into waterways and landfill every year.
Studies have shown that even medicines disposed of in landfill have leached back into the food chain via water or fertilizers made from land fill or sewage solids.
So just what do you do with out-of-date and unwanted medicines?
It's as easy as a trip to your local community pharmacy.
Under the Return Unwanted Medicines scheme, pharmacies collect the medicines and have them disposed of via special high-temperature sealed incinerators.
More than 700 tonnes of medicines are disposed of in this way each year.
The Pharmacy Guild of Australia says we should:
CHECK expiry dates on all medicines and separate all expired medicines into a container for return;
CHECK all the medicines are actually needed and separate those no longer needed for return;
TAKE the container for a community pharmacy for disposal.
More information on the Return Unwanted Medicines scheme HERE.
