How To Dispose Of Your Medicines Safely: Instructions
Proper storage and disposal of medicinal products helps protect the safety of the patient, family members and caregivers. Any drug can be dangerous if it is not properly stored, taken in the wrong direction, taken by another person, or not disposed of safely. Experts of a cheap pharmacy in Australia recommend checking your first-aid kit every six months. Medical institutions dispose of such waste in a special way. What to do in this case at home, and why expired medicines are classified as hazardous waste, we will learn today.
Pharmacy in Australia: Why are medicines considered hazardous waste?
All drugs, like any product, have an expiration date. However, this does not mean that the active substance in them ceases to act. After a certain time, the active components of drugs only reduce the concentration or change their structure. Further reactions can be various, because everything affects chemical compounds - water, temperature, oxygen, fire, etc. Medicines can contain different hazardous substances:
- carcinogenic components which can provoke an oncological process, and the growth of a malignant tumor;
- genotoxic substances - they affect genes;
- mutagenic components that cause mutations.
In fact, there is a wide range of such compounds. Perhaps some are less toxic, but we can't say they are completely safe. It is also dangerous if some medicines end up in a landfill. But don't be afraid, you can always turn to the specialists of the cheap pharmacy in Sydney for help if you still keep old medicines.
What to do with medicines that have expired?
As a rule, people can bring the out-of-date medications to pharmacies in Australia which then give them to hospitals. Neutralization takes place at high temperatures - 800-1500 °C. The gasses released during combustion enter a special chamber, then they pass through a special apparatus for filtering aerosols and dust.
According to the specialists of cheap pharmacy in Australia, the procedure for the disposal of expired medicines at home may be written in the instructions for the drug. If no recommendations are given and there is no option to transfer the medicines to safe hands for disposal, you will still have to bring them to the local pharmacy.
Tips from cheap pharmacy in Australia - disposing of old medicines
Medicine packaging is made as airtight as possible, sometimes waterproof or light-resistant material is used so that you receive perfectly protected medicines. The blisters known to us are a mixed package - plastic and metal. It is very difficult to recycle them. Hence, before you transfer the packaging there, do not forget to wash it. It is also not advisable for gloves and masks to end up in the trash, because viruses live on them for a few more days.
The pharmacy in Australia also recommends following several rules:
- Take the medication out of the package;
- Grind the tablets into dust, and if it is a gel, then dissolve it in water and mix it with inedible waste (earth, sand, etc.);
- Pack tightly in a bag or some container;
- Take it to the pharmacy.
Such simple actions will help prevent chemicals from entering the water or soil. That's why it's beneficial to check out your first-aid kit regularly to prevent medicines from spoiling. However, you can always contact a cheap pharmacy in Sydney and take the drugs to their office.
