Unmetabolized Drugs

Unmetabolized drugs include:

• incorrect dosages or quantities drawn up in error
• narcotics drawn up in bulk (which in order to accurately log, must be wasted between dosages and between patients)
• excess medications such as half-full intravenous bags
• disposal of expired drugs

 

      In nursing education, students are taught to waste liquid drugs down the drain (squirting the syringe down the drain) or solid drugs such as tablets into the garbage (Mahara, 2002).  Hospital policies and procedures also reflect this, for example: ?narcotics are to be wasted into the sink [italices added] in such a way in which they are not recoverable ? (Royal Inland Hospital, 2000, p. 112). 

     In addition, it is very common for unused IVs to be sewered, either in the nursing units or in the pharmacy. Such disposal has become common practice for registered nurses in hospitals and other health care settings.

      Small amounts of drugs are also disposed of via the trashcans  into landfills (the pill that falls on the floor, the impregnated dressing which is disposed of in garbage receptacles). In addition, some pharmaceuticals are incinterated after being placed ino sharps containers (trace amount of drugs left over in syringes and glass vials).

     No matter how they are disposed of, pharmaceuticals affect both the environment and public health. Nurses, however, can work towards minimizing this impact