Question

a patient asks about disposal of medication. what are the nurses best response

Answer 1

Ans:-

Nurses have a duty to the patient to know the actions and indications of all medications they administer, including safe dosage ranges, adverse reactions, monitoring parameters, and nursing implications. Recognizing perceptual factors. Misperceptions are at the root of many medication errors.

Patients keep medications for a variety of reasons. They may maintain unused medicine to save them for potential future flare-ups. Medications are expensive and family members may in good conscience hold on to a medication they feel could be used by another person at a later date.

Disposal of prescription and OTC medicines Mix the medicines (do not crush tablets or capsules) with an unpalatable substance such as dirt, kitty litter, or used coffee grounds.

Then, place the mixture in a container such as a zip-lock or sealable plastic bag, and throw the container away in your household trash.

Tips for proper medicine disposal

Mix the medicines (do not crush tablets or capsules) with an unpalatable substance such as dirt, kitty litter, or used coffee grounds. This prevents thievery or diversion of medicines from the trash. Then, place the mixture in a container such as a zip-lock or sealable plastic bag, and throw the container away in your household trash.

Remove the label and/or scratch off all personal information on the label when disposing of a prescription vial. Flush prescription medications down the toilet only if the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs doing so (ie, for specific medications, such as prescription pain relievers that have a high potential to be abused; check the FDA’s list of medicines recommended for disposal by flushing .). Otherwise, medicines can be thrown away in the household trash.

Take advantage of pharmacy “take-back” programs or solid waste programs to dispose of unused or expired medicines.

Patients often tell clinicians that they used their “left-over” medica­tions from previous refills, or that a family member shared medication with them. Other patients, who are non-adherent or have had a recent medication change, might reveal that they have some unused pills at home. As clinicians, what does this practice by our patients mean for us?

Prescription drug abuse is an emerg­ing crisis, and drug diversion is a signifi­cant contributing factor.1 According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health, in 2011 and 2012, on average, more than one-half of partici­pants age ≥12 who used a pain reliever, tranquillizer, stimulant, or sedative non-medically obtained their most recently used drug “from a friend or relative for free.”

Unused expired, and “extra” medi­cations pose a significant risk for diver­sion, abuse, and accidental overdose.3 According to the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan, proper medica­tion disposal is a major problem that needs action to help reduce prescription drug abuse.

Regrettably, <20% of patients receive advice on medication disposal from their health care provider,4 even though clini­cians have an opportunity to educate patients and their caregivers on appro­priate use, and safe disposal of, medica­tions—in particular, controlled substances.

What should we emphasize to our patients about disposing of medications when it’s necessary?

Teach responsible use Stress that medications prescribed for the patient are for his (her) use alone and should not be shared with friends or family. Sharing might seem kind and generous, but it can be dangerous. Medications should be used only at the prescribed dosage and frequency and for the rec­ommended duration. If the medication causes an adverse effect or other problem, instruct the patient to talk to you before making any changes to the established regimen.

Emphasize safe disposal

Follow instructions:

The label on medi­cation bottles or other containers often has specific instructions on how to prop­erly store, and even dispose of, the drug. Advise your patient to follow instructions on the label carefully.

Participate in a take-back program:

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sponsors several kinds of drug take-back programs, including permanent locations where unused prescriptions are collected; 1-day events; and mail-in/ship-back programs.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative is one such program that collects unused or expired medications on “Take Back Days.” On such days, DEA-coordinated collection sites nationwide accept unneeded pills, including pre­scription painkillers and other controlled substances, for disposal only when law enforcement personnel are present. In 2014, this program collected 780,158 lb of prescribed controlled medications.

Patients can get more information about these programs by contacting a local phar­macy or their household trash and recycling service division.

Discard medications properly in the trash:

An acceptable household strategy for disposing of prescription drugs is to mix the medication with an undesirable substance, such as used cat litter or coffee grounds, place the mixture in a sealed plastic bag or disposable container with a lid, and then place it in the trash.

Don’t flush:

People sometimes flush unused medications down the toilet or drain. The current recommendation is against flush­ing unless instructions on the bottle specifi­cally say to do so. Flushing is appropriate for disposing of some medications such as opiates, thereby minimizing the risk of acci­dental overdose or misuse. It is important to remember that most municipal sewage treatment plans do not have the ability to extract pharmaceuticals from wastewater.

Discard empty bottles:

It is important to discard pill bottles once they are empty and to remove any identifiable personal infor­mation from the label. Educate patients not to use empty pill bottles to store or trans­port other medications; this practice might result in accidental ingestion of the wrong medication or dose. These methods of disposal are in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations, as well as human and environ­mental safety standards. Appropriate dis­posal decreases contamination of soil and bodies of water with active pharmaceutical ingredients, thereby minimizing people’s and aquatic animals’ chronic exposure to low levels of drugs

While working in health care facilities, nurses are used to disposing of medical waste. It’s a part of the job. There are ways, though, to help with this in your communities as well. We interviewed Maricha Ellis, Vice President, Sales and Marketing Operations for Stericycle Environmental Solutions for more information on how you can help.

Why is it important for nurses to have a role in medical waste disposal? What is that role?

Opioid drug-related overdose has risen steadily over the past two decades, becoming one of the leading causes of death in the United States. According to a recent study, more than 240 million prescriptions were written for opioids in one year. That’s enough to give every American adult their own pill bottle. As health care providers practising on the front lines of the opioid epidemic, registered nurses play a central role in addressing this crisis. Nurses are qualified and well-positioned to play a leading role in not only diagnosing and managing patients in pain but educating patients on proper storage and disposal techniques. The current crisis calls for support and focuses on nurses through patient education. By pointing patients to drug take back resources, such as safe and anonymous medication collection kiosks publicly available in the local area, nurses can prevent prescription opioids from reaching unintended individuals.

How will nurses help to dispose of medical waste help?

Because RNs practice in a variety of direct care and executive roles, they are often in a key position to help patients and their families understand the proper disposal of opioids following a pain treatment plan. Proper disposal of opioids directly helps patients, their families, and their communities stay safe.

Why is it important that this is happening now?

Proper disposal of unused and expired opioids is especially important as the number of opioid-related deaths continues to rise nationwide. Drug overdose deaths have risen steadily over the past two decades, with drug poisonings propelling unintentional injuries to become the third leading cause of all deaths in the U.S. From 1999 to 2013, the rate for drug poisoning deaths involving opioids nearly quadrupled.