Last updated on September 28, 2021
There has been an explosion of news coverage recently concerning issues with pharmaceuticals. There is an opioid epidemic, causing concerns for the proper management of opioids — mostly prescribed pills of pain relief opioids like Vicodin and Oxycontin. There is also a high level of environmental concern reflecting the disposal of medications of all types, as there are many studies that have been completed on the impacts of human-use pharmaceuticals on water habitats.
The developed world enjoys the benefits of superior healthcare, and much of the advancements in well-being and life longevity can be attributed to the availability of pharmaceuticals. The discussion will focus on the use of pharmaceuticals in the United States. While the availability of drugs — both prescription and over-the-counter drugs — are beneficial in maintaining our health, we are facing a large dilemma with the proper disposal of excess and discarded pharmaceuticals. The concern we are now facing is — how should we properly dispose of these excess pharmaceuticals?
Learn more about Incineration of Discarded Pharmaceuticals:
- Improper pharmaceutical disposal
- Sinking or flushing
- Solid waste stream
- Incineration
- Waste treatment process
- Why Incineration is the preferred treatment of discarded pharmaceuticals
- Effects on pharmaceuticals