ALBUQUERQUE, SEPT. 1, 2009 – The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority today announced plans for a program to encourage proper disposal of old and expired medications to prevent them from entering the Rio Grande and its ecosystem.

The program, called “AguaRx,” will consist of a public awareness campaign, a voluntary testing program to monitor the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the Rio Grande, development of a regional strategy for addressing the issue, and pursuit of possible state legislation to facilitate pharmaceutical take-back programs.

“Our primary message is this: Do not flush your old or expired medications down the toilet,” said Alan B. Armijo, Vice-Chair of the Water Authority Board.

Public concern regarding the presence of minute quantities of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in water sources around the country has been spurred by the development of improved technologies that allow detection of compounds down to the parts-per-trillion level.  Also drawing attention were recent reports by the Associated Press (which found no pharmaceutical compounds in Albuquerque’s drinking water), and a 1999-2003 study by the U.S. Geological Survey that detected pharmaceutical compounds in stream systems in a number of other states.

While there are no known human health effects from pharmaceutical compounds in the minute quantities detected in the other water systems, Armijo said it is important for the Water Authority to stay abreast of the issue and encourage people to dispose of medicines properly.

“We have a very clean river compared to many other places, and we should make every effort to keep it that way,” he said. “As a community, we also have a responsibility to keep the river as clean as possible for downstream users.”

The recommended disposal method for old and expired medications:

1. Remove medications from their original container.
2. Put them in a disposable plastic container such as a used margarine tub or sealable plastic bag
3. Mix with water and clay cat litter to create a paste.
4. Seal the container and place in the trash on the day of trash pick-up
5. Remember to cross out personal information on prescription bottles with a permanent black marker, or peel off the labels and destroy them, before placing empty medicine containers in the trash.
   

How to Dispose of Old or Expired Medications