Few pharmacies in California accept unused opioids, study finds

Only one in ten pharmacies in California have programmes allowing the return of unused prescribed opioids.

At the same time, only one in five offers accurate information on the correct disposal of them.

The author of the study is Dr Hillary Copp, University of California.

To conclude, 898 pharmacies were tested in a secret-shopper style.

Dr Copp warns of the dangers of unused prescription medication, which include pollution, accidental child poisoning, and misuse.

Bringing them to a take-back site, she says, is the best option to dispose of them.

If your pharmacy will not take them back, flushing unused opioids down the toilet is also a consideration.

With unused antibiotics, you should mix them with an unpalatable substance, such as cat litter or coffee grounds, and put them in the rubbish bin in a sealed container.

It is unwise to flush them away as this can contribute to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Stacie Dusetzina, a researcher at Vanderbilt University School, noted the lack of concise and clear information as disturbing.

Given that proper disposal of different medicines can be confusing, providing patients with more opportunities to do the right thing would be helpful.

Dr Chana Sacks of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston added that pharmacies are failing in their role as educators.

Even though patients can look up the necessary information online, pharmacies should be places where they can receive reliable, accurate, and safe disposal guidelines.