Unknown Fact: Did you that like plastics, pharmaceuticals can also be recycled?
Yes, pharmaceuticals can be recycled and need to be recycled at any cost. There are merits and even few reasons on why we need to do this responsible act.
Some of the significant reasons include:
- Community Safety:
As a part of community, it is our duty to safeguard the community. Medications that are thrown in the garbage can potentially be discovered by children, pets, fraudsters who could use the wrongly. Correct disposal of medications can help in prevent in misuse of pharmaceuticals and save lives of many.
- Pollution:
Pollution has become a major concern in the environment and it needs to be controlled. When drugs are not disposed or recycled properly into the garbage or flushed down the toilet, the chemical elements enter the water supply.
This way water gets contaminated and the same water when drunk by animals cause health problems or death in the worst case. Therefore, it is necessary that the medicines be properly disposed.
- Antibiotic Resistance:
When drugs that are prescribed to combat infections penetrate into the environment, the potential for drug-resistant germs becomes very much higher, making humans life difficult in protecting their health from serious infections.
Commands While Disposing of Pharmaceuticals:
There are numerous matters which need to be taken in to consideration while disposing of pharmaceuticals. These can avoid the arrival of unnecessary problems and can be beneficial to many.
Limit Yourself:
The best way to avoid unwanted problems in life is to limit yourself. It is very important to purchase medicines based upon the requirements during that time.
One should not buy in bulk because if not utilized before the expiry date, it’ll be a waste of money, resources and even problems arise during recycling.
Finish Me Completely:
When one is prescribed medications by a doctor, it is very important that the entire medicine is taken till the treatment is completed. It obviously makes one’s health better and fewer unused medications will also be left.
Gush and Rush:
The biggest blunders we tend to make in our lives are flush or trash our medicines into the water. We should avoid this habit and make even others aware of it.
Because if we do so, the water gets contaminated which in turn drunk by us or animals can be harmful to health, cause serious health issues.
Doctor, Doctor I Need your Help:
When not understanding anything (regarding dispose of medicine), it’s best to go to a healthcare professional for help. They’ve very much knowledge regarding it & will give detailed report, much needed guidance.
Giving it to the Needy:
Don’t be greedy and help the needy!!!
When we do not use anything, it is always better to give it someone who is in need rather than dump it in the backyard. There are recycling database organizations, which accept these medicines and help those in the third-world countries.
I can’t know the Expiry Date:
If you ever come across a medicine whose expiry date is not understandable, it is good habit to go the pharmacist from whom one has purchased it.
The pharmacist can go through the computer records and based on that you can decide whether to use them or discard it.
