Earlier this year, communities all over the globe celebrated the 20th anniversary of Earth Day. It has become part of our daily lives to reduce, reuse and recycle, and as we continue to find new ways to be green, we’re adding a new R: rethink.

At Live Oak Pharmacy, we rethought the problem of expired and unused medications and launched Austin’s first medication “take-back” program in conjunction with the National Community Pharmacists Association.

This program was important to us on two fronts. As a pharmacy, we knew this program was important to help keep unused and expired medications out of homes for safety. But as members of the community, we wanted to provide a place to keep those same medications from ending up in a landfill or in our water supply for future generations so that they, too, can enjoy all that Austin has to offer.

The community response has been overwhelmingly positive.

The Issue
From 2000 to 2004, the number of prescriptions being written and dispensed increased by nearly 110 percent. The average American is given 11 prescriptions. And of these medications prescribed and dispensed, 40 percent have never been used.

This is happening for several reasons, including a change in medication by a physician, a patient feeling better and no longer needing the medication, a patient having adverse or allergic reactions and a patient passing. Regardless of the reason, we have unused medications, and we need to dispose of them.

The Effect on the Environment
So what do we do with these unused or expired medications? A study published in the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine estimates that 54 percent of consumers dispose of their unused medications in the trash, while 35 percent flush them down the toilet or a drain.

This presents a problem because while some medications quickly degrade in the environment, others do not. Eventually, they make their way into the soil and into aquatic environments via sewage.

Safety
The environmental concern is important, and Earth Day helped feature the importance of disposing of medications in an eco-friendly manner. However, another issue with unused and expired medications is family safety.

According to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, one in five teenagers has abused a prescription pain medication, and many teenagers mistakenly believe prescription drugs are safer than street drugs because they have legitimate uses. Additionally, taking expired medications can have adverse affects, and leaving these expired or unused medications out may lead to accidental ingestion by children, the elderly or pets.

A Solution
Medication “take-back” programs, like the one offered at Live Oak Pharmacy, are one way to combat both the effect on the environment and the safety issues. Texas pharmacies participating in the program are able to accept expired and unused medications (with the exception of controlled substances), over-the-counter medications, vitamins and supplements.

Customers can take their medications in their original packaging to Live Oak Pharmacy during regular business hours and fill out a medication “take-back” form, and our pharmacist can review the form and medications. From there, we package and send the returned medications to an incineration facility, where high temperatures break down chemicals and emissions are capped and treated. Both the Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization recommend this method of disposal over flushing or throwing away unused medications.

Controlled Substances
Texas pharmacies are unable to accept controlled substances, such as Morphine, Hydrocodone and Vicodin®. Unused or expired controlled substances can be disposed of in the following manner, as recommended by the Food and Drug Administration: Take the prescription out of its original container and mix it with an undesirable substance, such as cat litter or used coffee grounds. Put the mixture into sealable bag and dispose of it in the trash. In some rare instances, the Food and Drug Administration recommends flushing certain medications due to the fact that they can be especially harmful – and in some cases fatal – in a single dose when used by someone other than the person to whom the medicine was prescribed.

About Live Oak Pharmacy
Live Oak Pharmacy is Austin’s downtown pharmacy specializing in compounded medications. We welcome people from all walks of life and wellness. We believe applied knowledge is power, and that sometimes listening is the best medicine; we also believe in the partnership between you, your pharmacist and your health care provider, as well as in standing behind each and every product and service we offer and in seeking the science behind the claims. But most importantly, we believe everything we do is customized for your heath. Live Oak Pharmacy is located at 1611 W. 5th St., two blocks east of MoPac in the 5th Street Commons.

To learn more about our medication “take-back” program or to download a “take-back” form, please visit http://LiveOakRx.com/takeback.