A PHARMACY chain and university have launched a joint initiative for the proper disposal of medicines.
Dedicated bins for expired and unwanted medicines are placed at Sunway Multicare Pharmacy (SMP) outlets in the joint campaign with Monash University Malaysia (MUM), called DROP – “Dispose Right, Protect Our Planet”.
“Most times, unused or expired medicine is either thrown into the dustbin or down the sink,” said MUM School of Pharmacy head Prof Shaun Lee.
“Eventually, it will end up in our soil and waterways.”
Without proper research, he said, there was no telling what the long-term effects would be to the environment and people.
“Hence, the need to advocate for the safe disposal of expired or unused medicines,” he said during the launch at Sunway Velocity in Kuala Lumpur.
MUM Pharmacy Practice discipline head Dr Saw Pui San said that while people might perceive discarding a bottle of cough syrup or blister pack of pills into the dustbin as of little concern, they must be reminded that environmental problems were made up of millions of small actions.
“Medicines play a very important role in protecting our health.
“But when they are disposed incorrectly, something that is created to help us can become a risk to the community.
“The success of DROP really depends on every one of us.
“So, let us start making a better choice by returning used or expired medicines to your nearest DROP box,” she said.
In his speech, SMP general manager Ricky Lim said SMP had introduced 50 medicine disposal bins at selected pharmacy outlets in May.
“Over the past two months, we collected some 300kg of unused and expired medicine.”
The successful outcome, he said, inspired SMP to expand the initiative to introduce 50 more medicine disposal bins in the northern and southern regions.
“We believe this will help make the community more aware and responsible for the environment,” he added.
The collected medicine will be incinerated.
Health Ministry Pharmacy Proactive and Development deputy director Rozian Abu Chik said the government also had a similar initiative.
“The programme has 1,248 medicine collection points nationwide, comprising 151 public hospitals and 1,097 private facilities,” she said.
Also present were Sunway Group president Datuk Anuar Taib, Sunway Malls chief executive officer Chan Hoi Choy and SMP CEO Lang Leong Cheng.
At the launch, an artwork by Fadilah Ghani, a full-time caregiver who works with the destitute elderly in Pekan, Pahang, was used as a centrepiece.
The Universiti Sains Malaysia fine arts graduate created a collage modelled on real medicine and using discarded blister packs and inhalers.
