title: Managing unused pharmaceuticals in a hospice setting: a pilot study.
abstract: With the escalating use of pharmaceuticals in health care, there has been increasing anxiety over the potential health risks associated with pharmaceutical waste accumulating in the environment. This research provided nurses in a hospice care facility in Concord, California, with education and training to offer patients a medication disposal service through the use of mail-back envelopes. Over the 6-month study period, 160 of the 400 distributed mailers were returned for disposal. The total weight of pharmaceuticals diverted for incineration was 107 pounds, with an average weight of 0.66 pounds per mailer. This study suggests that the mailer system and proper education of medical staff have the potential to improve medical waste management, but alternative approaches may be necessary to increase the rate of envelop return.
authors.affiliation: Teleosis Institute, Berkeley, CA 94707, USA. drkreisberg@teleosis.org
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kreisberg
authors.forename: Connie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D002140:California; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education; D003363:Cost Control / Q000379:methods; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000379:methods*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017051:Hospice Care / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000592:standards*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011177:Postal Service / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D018505:Waste Management / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations