Unused prescription drugs should not be treated like leftovers

摘要

On May 11, 2013, Public Safety Canada and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police coordinated the first National Prescription Drug Drop-Off Day, which resulted in the return of more than two tonnes of unused medications.1 This initiative was repeated on May 10, 2014. It was launched to reduce the amount of unused prescription drugs in Canadian households and, ultimately, drug-related harm. Herein, we provide some of the reasons why unused prescription drugs are so common, some of the problems associated with their use and the importance of the safe disposal of unused medications.