you may want to get it tested. the news reports showed just as much if not more in some private wells.

most people don't get them checked annually. the underground springs can be contaminated by run off.

this whole thing sucks.

Recycling prescription drugs would save money, water


What was in my local paper today: March 13, 2008

DENVER — A Thornton lawmaker says a bill that would require pharmacies to take back hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of unused prescription drugs each year would save the state money and protect public water supplies.

Democratic Rep. Lois Tochtrop said a bill approved in 2005 that allowed people to return medication isn't working because pharmacies refuse to take back the pills.

She said she learned last summer from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment that some of those pills are ending up in wastewater and drinking water.

A recent investigation by The Associated Press revealed that a vast array of pharmaceuticals have been detected in minute levels in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas.

"There have been rising levels of pharmaceuticals. This deals with both problems, the high cost of medication and the water supply," she said.

the rest here-
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news...64/detail.html

My Pharmacy refused to take them back. We're so behind the times here in the US.

I suppose if the Pharmacutical companies took them back, they would find a way to reuse them - safely I hope.

I wish there was an organization that could collect these meds and send them to people who need them around the world and here at home!

Here in Canada we just return bottles and all to the drug store and they take care of it and it don't cost a thing. Also ii have given some of my unused meds to my doctor and if she has some one who needs them like some times people can't afford the meds and they just might be trying them out so she will give them to them. But other then that we just drop off the empty or full pill bottles

wow such differences -

I couldn't return an unopened bottle of Morphine to the CA hospital that rx'd it for family member - I didn't want to be carrying it around since we were away for home, they wouldn't even dispose of it for me??
Told me to pour it down the drain so i did it right there in the hospital restroom.
I could understand not taking back to put in inventory but you think they would have disposed of it in a better way.

Giving out others medications ??
I would think they might be concerned that some pills etc might have been tampered with or even just contaminated.

Sounds like a risky situation - they are trying to help but what if??
- even if they were just stored improperly - too hot or too much humidity - it could change the effectiveness..

Hi first i would like to say i don't know if other doctors do that here but i do trust my doctor and i don't believe she would take or give meds out unless she new the person very will she has given me lyerica that belonged to some one else i had to give them back they did some what work for me but i had to stop because my tremors in my right arm got worse. Any way i do trust my doctor very much we talk a lot when i see her about me and her and her life which is nice most doctors do nothing to gain your trust. Any way its to bad that they don't take and dispose of meds you would think with every one going green that they would do there part. Will that's just my opinion good luck hope your all doing fine

I love the idea of returning things to the drug store so that they can arrange for incineration.

I understand the reason for redistributing unused meds to those that can't afford them, but Ewww The possibility that they were in some way tampered with is frightening. Even if someone innocently sneezed when they had the jar open.....yuck ! I know for a fact that it would be illegal to do in my state (MA) and I suspect in all of the US. ER even had a show about this issue being a big no-no.

I guess we should all be worried about meds in our drinking water, but truthfully, I am more grossed out by the fact that it's meds that were flushed and meds that were not fully metabolized leaching out of human waste ! Ewwww.....Gross

I'm not thrilled with the possibility of drinking small amounts of these serious meds. But....the thought that I just drank particles that have been in someone else's body. I really like you guys and all, but I don't need your cooties ! Not to mention HIV, urine, stool, radiation from people with implants, chemo, etc

I wish they would spend the money meant for more studies on using the more expensive filtration system

I disagree that it should be the drug companies responsiblity to find a way to filter better. I think my local water dept/our government should take care of that. I do think they should take back meds for incineration.