Pharmaceutical Waste
Environmental concerns about pharmaceuticals in the environment are growing as more are discovered in surface waters, groundwater, landfill leachate, and aquatic life. In 2019, NEWMOA initiated a Project in northern New Hampshire and Vermont to increase access to proper disposal of unused pharmaceuticals in ways that prevents pollution of the environment, drug abuse, and accidental poisonings. The Project had three primary targets for improving pharmaceutical waste management:
- Residents of long-term care facilities (LTCFs)
- Clients of home health care agencies
- Public access at retail pharmacies
The Project also focused on promoting recycling of rechargeable and other batteries. The Project was heavily impacted by the pandemic, however several objectives were accomplished by October 1, 2021, when the Project ended, including:
- Long-term care facilities: worked with a 135 bed LTCF in northern New Hampshire to install four Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) approved waste pharmaceutical collection kiosks for their internal use and developed a handout for staff [PDF]
- Home health care providers: worked with a home health care agency based in Berlin, NH and another agency based in Newport, VT to provide drug destruction options for their clients and developed handouts for their staff and for their clients:
- Androscoggin Valley (AV) Home Care for Staff [PDF]
- Androscoggin Valley (AV) Home Care for Clients [PDF]
- Orleans-Essex Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) & Hospice for Staff [PDF]
- Orleans-Essex Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) & Hospice for Hospice Staff [PDF]
- Orleans-Essex Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) & Hospice for Clients [PDF]
- Retail pharmacies: worked with Kinney Drugs to install DEA-approved waste pharmaceutical collection kiosks for public use at three of their locations in northern Vermont and developed a handout to publicize the kiosks [PDF]
- Battery recycling: provided Call2Recycle battery recycling collection boxes to the New Hampshire LTCF and also to the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NH DES) Pollution Prevention (P2) Division for them to provide to the small businesses they work with in the northern rural areas of the state. Handouts:
- Publicize the NH DES boxes [PDF]
- Explain the Call2Recycle program to municipalities [PDF]
This project was supported by the Rural Utilities Services, United States Department of Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in associated materials are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Rural Utilities Services. The views expressed on this webpage do not necessarily reflect those of NEWMOA, USDA, the Project Partners, or the NEWMOA member-states.
NEWMOA is an equal opportunity employer and provider.
