Learn the Rationality Behind Proper Disposal of Opioids
Remember, opioids ought to be disposed of safely. Otherwise, you risk having them land on the wrong hands. That said, avoid storing medicine in places that kids or pets can easily access as they can be prompted to consume. So, how do you safely discard these medications?
Potent opioids are mainly prescribed to individuals who have undergone surgical operations as a remedy to treat the pain associated with the procedure. It can also be recommended for cancer patients. However, opioids can be very harmful if they get to the wrong hands. Therefore, it is paramount to have opioids disposed of appropriately following expiry or when not in use.
Many people tend to throw the bottles of these medications in their trash for lack of the right information. If you are one of these individuals, this article is meant to enlighten you on the most suitable ways to discard medications comprising opioids. You may consider community take-back initiatives, drop boxes, or use of deactivation bags.
Though the community programs and drop boxes approaches have been used for years and proven to be effective. Note, experts in the field strive to continue improving the disposal solutions and come up with safer and environmentally friendly solutions. As a result, deactivation bags have found their way into the industry.
These bags have been invented to serve some significant objectives;
The need to enhance community health at a low priced and convenient approach. That will see an overall health improvement of communities across the state. This solution cuts down the abuse and mismanagement of leftover prescriptions. Considering the affordability of the deactivation pouches, we can have insurance providers covering the cost of the bag for every opioid medication received by the patients.
Enhancing public safety is key, and the proper disposal of medications is one way to guarantee this. When deactivation bags are used in discarding leftover prescriptions, the chemical content in the drug is rendered inert. Thus, the possibility of unintentional poisoning of pets and humankind is eliminated. The bags too help reduces the chance of having the medication stolen from the drug cabinet. Wrong drug disposal is harmful to the environment. Imagine the damage that the medicine will cause if it gets into drainages of the landfills. Some chemicals can deteriorate the environment.
The technology behind the pouches is not complicated. It uses activated carbon to deactivate prescription medications. Thus, you place the leftover or unwanted medication (whether in pills or liquid form) into these neutralizing bags. You then follow with warm water to jump-start the deactivation process.
The bag is sealed and can now be safe to toss in the trash. If it finds its way to the landfill, natural biodegrading will occur, and the pouch with all the content in it will turn into water and carbon dioxide. Hence, this novel approach is considered safe. Various methods have been employed to help individuals dispose of prescriptions in a more reliable way. It is essential to sue the proven procedures that assure safety to humankind and the environment.