There’s a call for New Brunswick pharmacies to be relieved of the financial burden of disposing of expired or unused medications as well as needles and other sharp items used by patients.
The New Brunswick Pharmacists Association says the cost of handling such material can range from $2500 to more than $4000 per year.
The association wants to join other provinces, which have some sort of environmental stewardship program.
“It should be funded by manufacturers,” said Paul Blanchard, Executive Director of the New Brunswick Pharmacists Association.
“Pharmacists are happy to play their part which is to do the collection, promotion of a medication return program and to dispose of those medications in a responsible manner.”
READ MORE: Mandatory reporting of medication errors to be implemented by Ontario pharmacies
Disposing of medications is something they’re not obliged to do, but pharmacists say it’s the right decision
“We do take all these meds back because we don’t want them in the hands of wrong people and at the same time we don’t want them flushed down the toilet,” said Dean Mercer, Pharmacy Manager at Kennebecasis Drugs in Rothesay.
Blanchard uses Nova Scotia as an example where the pharmacy association passes along invoices to the manufacturers.
“The government’s role in that program is to simply say to the manufacturers, ‘look we strongly encourage you to participate in this program. If you don’t you’ll go to the back of the line in terms of product approval or what can be sold here in Nova Scotia.'”
WATCH: Moncton group searching for help in attempt to dispose hundreds of used drug needles safely
A spokesman for the New Brunswick Health Department says the government does not currently administer any programs related to unused medication but is looking at ensuring ongoing access to these services going forward.
It encourages the public to discard medications in a safe and responsible manner.
Comments