Throwing expired medicines in household trash is not an ideal way to dispose of them. The countrys drug controller is finalizing a guidance document detailing safe disposal methods for unused and expired medicines. 

The officials noted the need for safe and proper disposal of expired and unused medicines and drugs to protect the environment and public health.In its final stages, the document will include procedures for disposal, collection, storage, and transportation of expired and unused drugs.

Improper disposal of medications can be hazardous to public health, animal health, and the environment. The recently notified Schedule M under Drug Rules prescribes requirements for manufacturers for proper and safe storage of waste material awaiting disposal. The new guidance document aims to provide best practices for safe disposal, considering various international guidelines, including those by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), as well as the Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) received a letter from researchers about a study assessing the extent of exposure to active pharmaceutical compounds (APCs) in the hydrologic cycle around New Delhi. The study indicated that improper disposal of unused and expired pharmaceutical compounds into landfills could contribute to ecological exposure and the emergence of drug resistance.

Officials stated that the guidance document will include methods for disposing of expired/unused medicines in landfills and ways to dump antineoplastic drugs.

(Source:https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/pharma/policy-regulations/norms-soon-on-disposing-of-expired-medicines/111299639?utm_source=Mailer&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=ethealth_news_2024-06-27&dt=2024-06-27 )