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The following article was written by Stephen Shapanka, Communications Intern at the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) National Office in Washington, D.C.

Do you ever flush your old medications down the drain? You could be polluting our rivers and lakes — and our drinking water — if you do! There are some important reasons to avoid doing this, and there is an easy alternative solution for the disposal of medications. Those that work for a water or wastewater utility are encouraged to share the following information with customers. Sharing this information is another way, in addition to the regular services, to improve the quality of your community’s drinking water.

DisposeMyMeds.org
The National Community Pharmacists Association rolled out the new “Dispose My Meds” campaign to help consumers find a safe disposal method for their old prescriptions. The campaign reports that 41 million Americans from California to New Jersey are affected by traces of medications in water. These traces include a wide variety of medications including antibiotics, anti-convulsion medication, mood stabilizers and hormones. 

The campaign’s website – Disposemymeds.org – will direct you to the nearest participating pharmacy that will take old medications and send them to a safe medical waste disposal site. This process ensures that dangerous chemicals from these medicines won’t end up in the water systems.

The issue of medicines in Americans’ water systems is of growing concern. In the Potomac River, many of the male bass have started producing eggs, and similar situations have been arising across the country. This phenomenon is thought to be caused by a group of compounds known as endocrine disruptors. These compounds are used in medications like birth control, and it is believed that such medications are making their way into the water systems through improper disposal.

The Food and Drug Administration reports the body does not absorb 100 percent of the drugs consumed. What’s left is passed via bodily excrement. The FDA says that this is another way that that distinguishable amounts of medications end up in our water systems.

Additional Resources
Dispose My Meds
http://www.disposemymeds.org
National Community Pharmacists Association
http://www.ncpanet.org/

The “Water We Drink” campaign
RCAP has partnered with the National Environmental Services Center (NESC) for the “Water We Drink” campaign, which helps small communities make wise choices about what’s in their water systems. The campaign offers free articles and educational resources about maintaining safe, sustainable, and secure water supplies in small and rural communities. Visit the campaign’s website and take advantage of the resources it offers.
 
An article written for the campaign, “Drugs in our waterways: What can community leaders do to slow the flow?” describes how prescription drugs can contaminate local water systems and provides information on their safe disposal. The article explains that water treatment plants are ill-equipped to handle medications and certain household products, and such products will end up as pollution without proper disposal.

The campaign also suggests three methods of disposal that can be completed easily by consumers:
1. Take unused drugs and medications to a community pharmaceutical take-back program, such as the “Dispose My Meds” campaign.
2. Do NOT flush unused portions of drugs and medicines down the toilet, except where the label or instructions indicate to flush.
3. Throw them in the trash, but only after removing them from their original bottle, making them unpalatable by mixing them with wet coffee grounds, glue, or kitty litter, and putting them in a leak-proof container. 

Resources for “message multipliers”
If you edit a newsletter, maintain a website, are a leader in a water or wastewater utility, or otherwise have the means to communicate with your utility’s customers and residents in your community, the “Water We Drink” campaign has produced ready-to-use content for your publications/communications resources on several topics of concern to small water utilities.
 
The campaign also provides other educational resources that address the topic of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in our waterways. They include a brochure, fact sheets, a PowerPoint presentation and instructor’s guide, a reference article, and federal guidelines for properly disposing of prescription drugs. They are designed for small community leaders and decision-makers, water and wastewater board members, and the general public, although many other audiences will find the information useful.
 
These items can be obtained for free on the campaign’s website. They are available to download for educational and nonprofit use, such as reprinting in your newsletter or magazine, distributing via email or Internet, or using in training, meetings, or presentations.

Additional resources
National Environmental Services Center
http://nesc.wvu.edu/
“Water We Drink” campaign
http://www.nesc.wvu.edu:16080/waterwedrink/
“Drugs in our waterways: What can community leaders do to slow the flow?”
http://www.nesc.wvu.edu:16080/waterwedrink/articles/drugs_in_water.cfm
“Water We Drink” articles
http://www.nesc.wvu.edu:16080/waterwedrink/articles.cfm