Re: E-DRUG: Costs of correctly disposing of expired drugs.

[hogerzeilh@who.ch]

Dear e-druggers,
     
In the well-known case of Bosnia-Herzegovina the cost of correctly 
disposing of expired pharmaceuticals in Europe was quoted to us in 
1995 as about �700 (about $1000) per metric ton. In the December 
article in the NEJM (1997; volume 337 nr 25: 1842-45) a cost of $2000 
per metric ton was mentioned.
     
These costs can be reduced by sorting out the materials, dividing the 
actual medicines from the packaging materials, and separating out for 
special destruction those categories of drugs which are most damaging 
to the environment, such as disinfectants, teratogenic and 
antineoplastic drugs.  Controlled drugs and antimicrobials should also 
be destroyed carefully.
     
More information is available in the draft interagency Guidelines for 
Disposal of Unwanted Drugs, which is under preparation by the WHO 
Action Programme on Essential Drugs.
     
Robin Gray and Hans Hogerzeil
WHO Action Programme on Essential Drugs
Emails: grayr@who.ch   hogerzeilh@who.ch
 
--
Send mail for the `E-Drug' conference to `e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.
Mail administrative requests to `majordomo@usa.healthnet.org'.
For additional assistance, send mail to:  `owner-e-drug@usa.healthnet.org'.