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Fish Don’t Do Drugs!
British Columbia, | Feb 2, 2015
The Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA) is pleased to announce its support for the BC Pharmacy Association’s new campaign to encourage the public to dispose of their unused and expired medications in a responsible manner.
The ‘Fish Don’t Do Drugs’ video is a stark reminder that the proper way to dispose of medications is to take them back to your community pharmacy. This message has been echoed by Regional Districts across British Columbia.
Check out the Fish Don’t Do Drugs video produced in partnership between the BC Pharmacy Association and the Health Products Stewardship Association here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKnxEjrhhmc.
Did you know you can return unused or expired medications to your community pharmacy?
Your medicine cabinet may contain unused or expired medications that can harm your family and the environment if not disposed of properly.
BC’s pharmacists are teaming up with regional districts across the province to urge residents to return old medications to their local pharmacy. Last year, more than 95,000 kg of old medications were returned to pharmacies in BC!
The BC Medications Return Program helps divert medications from being thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet, where they have the potential to harm the environment, children and pets.
It covers all prescription drugs; over-the-counter medications, including topical antibiotic and antifungal creams; and natural health products that are orally ingested, such as vitamins, minerals, traditional Chinese medicines, herbal products, probiotics and homeopathic medicines. More than 95 per cent of community pharmacies in BC participate in the program, which is free for all British Columbians.
“Community pharmacies are accessible to everyone and able to accept medication returns at any time,” said David Pavan, president of the BC Pharmacy Association. “Pharmacists have been helping to protect their patients and the environment for many years.”
“Medication that goes down the drain can have a negative effect on our marine environment, while medication in household garbage is not only accessible to children and pets, but can also contaminate the soil and water sources.”
Any liquid or cream medications should be kept in their original container with any personal information removed or blacked out, and solid medications such as pills should be combined into a small bag. Learn more at www.healthsteward.ca.