Nature does not need a pill

Kurzeme planning region together with pharmacies and cooperation partners has launched an educational campaign “Nature does not need a pill”. The campaign will run until the end of the year and will encourage the population to use medicines responsibly and dispose of unused medicines in pharmacies for proper disposal, thus reducing the disposal of medicines in municipal waste and sewage.

A large number of Latvian pharmacies have taken part in the campaign “Nature does not need a pill”, which will place information about the acceptance of unfit medicines in prominent places. More information on the website of Kurzeme planning region https://www.kurzemesregions.lv/dabaitabletinevajag/

When end-of-life medicines end up in municipal waste, pharmaceutically active substances end up in the landfill after a few years, as shown by international scientific studies. Landfill treatment plants, as well as municipal wastewater treatment plants, are not designed for the complete treatment of wastewater from pharmaceutically active substances, so some of the pharmaceutically active substances end up in nature, where they pose a threat to living organisms.

Unsuitable medicines are hazardous waste, the improper storage and disposal can pose a serious threat to human health and the environment. Improper storage of unused medicines in households can be a risk factor for poisoning.

If the medicine is disposed of with household waste, it can cause poisoning to the animals that find it. When released into the environment, this medicine causes chemical pollution of water and soil, the development of antibiotic resistance, hormonal changes and mutations in animals and plants.

The medicine becomes unusable if

• they have expired;
• the medicine is stored incorrectly;
• the appearance, smell or taste of the medicine has changed;
• damaged packaging;
• the name of the medicine is not legible.

Any unused product or waste material should be disposed of in a pharmacy

• must be removed from the outer carton;
• tablets, bottles, ampoules and ointment tubes should be placed in a sachet.

If you want to dispose of a broken mercury thermometer, it should be placed in a plastic bottle / container to prevent damage to the packaging during transport.