Unwanted Medication Disposal: Audit of California Pharmacy Advice
Authors: Rachel E. Selekman, Thomas W. Gaither, Zachary Kornberg, Aron Liaw, Hillary L. Copp
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2019)

Letters5 May 2020Unwanted Medication Disposal: Audit of California Pharmacy AdviceRachel E. Selekman, MD, MAS, Thomas W. Gaither, MD, MAS, Zachary Kornberg, BA, Aron Liaw, MD, and Hillary L. Copp, MD, MSRachel E. Selekman, MD, MASChildren's National Hospital, Washington, DC (R.E.S.)Search for more papers by this author, Thomas W. Gaither, MD, MASUniversity of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (T.W.G., Z.K., A.L., H.L.C.)Search for more papers by this author, Zachary Kornberg, BAUniversity of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (T.W.G., Z.K., A.L., H.L.C.)Search for more papers by this author, Aron Liaw, MDUniversity of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (T.W.G., Z.K., A.L., H.L.C.)Search for more papers by this author, and Hillary L. Copp, MD, MSUniversity of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (T.W.G., Z.K., A.L., H.L.C.)Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M19-2409 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: Improper disposal of prescription medications results in pollution, antibiotic resistance, childhood poisoning, and intentional misuse (1). Pharmacies are in an ideal position to provide disposal information, but evidence is limited regarding the accuracy of the information they provide.Objective: To investigate information pharmacies have given about the proper disposal of unused antibiotics and opioids.Methods and findings: The State of California Department of Consumer Affairs provided a list of licensed pharmacies as of 26 September 2017. Pharmacies with 10 or more locations were categorized as chains. Pharmacies were classified as urban or rural based on rural–urban commuting area codes ...References1. Ruhoy IS, Daughton CG. Beyond the medicine cabinet: an analysis of where and why medications accumulate. Environ Int. 2008;34:1157-69. [PMID: 18571238] doi:10.1016/j.envint.2008.05.0021 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. WWAMI Rural Health Research Center. Rural-urban commuting area codes. Accessed at http://depts.washington.edu.ucsf.idm.oclc.org/uwruca on 16 October 2017. Google Scholar3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Where and how to dispose of unused medicines. Accessed at www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm101653.htm on 23 February 2018. Google Scholar4. Tong AY, Peake BM, Braund R. Disposal practices for unused medications around the world. Environ Int. 2011;37:292-8. [PMID: 20970194] doi:10.1016/j.envint.2010.10.002 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Kinrys G, Gold AK, Worthington JJ, et al. Medication disposal practices: Increasing patient and clinician education on safe methods. J Int Med Res. 2018;46:927-939. [PMID: 29322845] doi:10.1177/0300060517738681 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC (R.E.S.)University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California (T.W.G., Z.K., A.L., H.L.C.)Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M19-2409.Reproducible Research Statement: Study protocol and data set: Available from Dr. Copp upon reasonable request (e-mail, hillary.[email protected]edu). Statistical code: Available from Dr. Selekman upon reasonable request (e-mail, [email protected]org).This article was published at Annals.org on 31 December 2019. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byAntibiotic perceptions, adherence, and disposal practices among parents of pediatric patientsClimate care is health care: A call for collaborative pharmacy actionBuyback Program of Unused Prescription Opioids in US Rural Communities, 2017–2018 5 May 2020Volume 172, Issue 9Page: 632-634KeywordsAntibioticsDrug administrationDrug informationDrugsFood and Drug AdministrationOpioidsPharmacistsPollutionQuality improvementSurgery ePublished: 31 December 2019 Issue Published: 5 May 2020 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2019 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...