A continuous collection system for household pharmaceutical wastes: a pilot project.

A 5-month "self-serve" pilot project was implemented to properly dispose of old and unwanted prescription and nonprescription medications. Obstacles encountered during the program included reluctance by major drug store chains to participate, regulatory and legal restrictions on pharmaceutical handling, and collection of detailed data from participants. Despite these difficulties, a total weight of 305 lb of discarded pharmaceuticals was collected during the pilot program period from an estimated 500 participants. A survey of participants indicated that discard of pharmaceuticals to the sanitary sewer, a newly discovered environmental hazard, is commonplace, with approximately 50% of participants using this method previously. The average age of the patients using the disposed medication was approximately 64 yr old, with the large majority being above 50 yr in age. The majority of participants learned of the program through newspaper advertisement. The average age or time after purchase of the medication was approximately 3 yr, and the primary purpose cited for its disposal was that the medication had exceeded its expiration date.