The after-life of drugs: a responsible care initiative for reducing their environmental impact

To the Editor: It is common for unwanted and expired medicines to be disposed of through general waste or, as raised recently by Fisher and colleagues, into the sewage system.1 These practices adversely affect not only the environment, but also social and economic determinants of health. For example, medicines discarded in household bins may be accessible to unintended recipients including children, increasing the risk of poisonings, misuse and abuse. It is critical that unwanted and/or expired medicines are disposed of safely.