Medicine Pollution

victory10 · 19-12-2010 5:04pm #1

With all the talk these days about environmental waste and how to make it less, there is an area that should be addressed, and that is medicine pollution, caused mainly by greedy drug manufacturers who insist on selling their standard products in large quantity of 30 tablets, instead of sample quantity for just two or three days.
For example, when I catch cold, I take few cold tablets for two or three days and usually feel much better until next time.
But the package of thirty tablets sits in the medicne cabinet and the next time I need it, it is usually past the expiry date, so I run to the nearest drug store and buy a new pack of thirty tablets.
If the drug store has the medicine in a pack of five or ten tablets, then this would be great, as it would cost me less (not good for the drug manufacturers and the drug store owner) and I would probably consume the whole or most of the contents with no leftovers.
Buying a pack of 30 tablets means I would have about twenty tablets leftover that might get expired within a certain period. As a good citizen, I would take the expired medicine to the nearest health center, where they have a special box for expired medicine and they know how to handle it properly, I guess using an incinirator.
Unfortunately, most people would just throw it in the dustbin, making it possible for kids and poor people who look for goodies in the dustbins, to take them out, with the possibility of using them, without noticing they are expired.
Another example that happened to me lately is that in winter my fingers get blisters and I use a special medical ointment that helps.
When I looked at the tube of 30 gm that I used last winter, it was almost full, but I noticed that it has expired, so I had to buy a new pack.
Why can't they sell the product in a tube of 5 gm or even 10 gm?
My point with these examples is that if there is some kind of worldwide legislation (FDA for example) that put a demand on the drug manufacturers to supply the product also in smaller quantities of 5 to 10 units, otherwise they would not get the license to sell the medicine, that would help to diminish the amount of medicine pollution in the long run, becides cutting down the cost of medicine to the minimum, both to the health insurance institions and to the individual consumer who might buy off the counter medicine (without prescription).

MagicMarker · 19-12-2010 5:07pm

Time to call Joe.

KeithM89_old · 19-12-2010 5:07pm

TL;DR version - there are too many tablets per box.

I like having a stockpile of them - saves on going out to get more while im sick.

chin_grin · 19-12-2010 5:09pm

To be honest this isn't anywhere near the top ten things that's wrong with this world.

19-12-2010 5:13pm

I presume the vast majority of medication sold is by a recurring prescription.. Ie. Repeated use for long periods of time. Bigger boxes is less pollution.

smk89 · 19-12-2010 5:27pm

I'd be more worried about the levels of lead, mercury and other toxic chemicals being released into the atmosphere because there is no incentive to recycle/ properly dispose of them but each to their own

jimthemental · 19-12-2010 5:41pm

As someone involved in chemical sales and such I have to say that if pack sizes were reduced we could probably increase our profit margin and price due to more regular repeat sales. Thanks OP this could help my career. Who cares that we'll be using more packaging as well due to reducing the advantages of selling in bulk.

kowloon · 19-12-2010 5:50pm

I need all 30 tablets to keep the shakes away.

Novella · 19-12-2010 5:55pm

What kinda OTC medication has thirty tablets in a packet?! I mean, Panadol comes in a 12 pack, you only get a few Lemsip sachets in a box... Sure, you can buy 24 packs of painkillers, but there IS the 12 pack option and if you have a migraine or a toothache or something, you'll likely need twelve 'cause that's only 6 doses.

Mint Sauce · 19-12-2010 5:59pm

Cant think of many over the counter meds that would have that many tablets per pack, maybe apart from anti acids or cough sweets.

Stuff like pararcetamol and anti hisamines come in packs of usally no more than 12, as your not suppose to take longer than a few days without doctors advice.

Stuff like steroids or anti biotics might come in this amount only becuase your suppose to complete the supply if it has been persribed.

Could I ask OP what over the counter stuff are you getting that has that many tablets in.

victory10 · 19-12-2010 6:03pm

jimthemental wrote: »

As someone involved in chemical sales and such I have to say that if pack sizes were reduced we could probably increase our profit margin and price due to more regular repeat sales. Thanks OP this could help my career. Who cares that we'll be using more packaging as well due to reducing the advantages of selling in bulk.

Thanks. I am glad you see a positive side to this.
Actually, I would be happy to pay extra (per tablet) for a smaller package, as it would mean paying less in the long run.

victory10 · 19-12-2010 6:13pm

irish-stew wrote: »

Could I ask OP what over the counter stuff are you getting that has that many tablets in.

We have local medicine for cold and headaches, which come only in 30 or more tablets. The name will not mean anything but here it is: Coldex (for cold), Acamol (for headaches and fever) and others.
Medicine for children is a big business, especially in winter.

starbelgrade · 19-12-2010 6:40pm

victory10 wrote: »

Unfortunately, most people would just throw it in the dustbin, making it possible for kids and poor people who look for goodies in the dustbins, to take them out, with the possibility of using them, without noticing they are expired.

Yeah - because that's what poor people & kids do with their spare time.

Mint Sauce · 19-12-2010 7:50pm

victory10 wrote: »

We have local medicine for cold and headaches, which come only in 30 or more tablets. The name will not mean anything but here it is: Coldex (for cold), Acamol (for headaches and fever) and others.
Medicine for children is a big business, especially in winter.

I'm guessing they are not Irish brands, dont know bout Coldex, but Acomol sounds like its paracetmol based. Doubt you will a packet of 30 paracetamol tabs here unless you are on it long term, under precription or if its for a hospital ward/heath centre.

Even if you go into your local supermarket or chemist here you can't buy more than one paracetamol based procduct in one transaction over the counter. Thats a maximum of about 12 paracetamol or what ever brand you choose, or about 10 cold/flu remedy sachets, lemsip, etc (paracetamol based).

ebixa82 · 19-12-2010 8:45pm

victory10 wrote: »

With all the talk these days about environmental waste and how to make it less, there is an area that should be addressed, and that is medicine pollution, caused mainly by greedy drug manufacturers who insist on selling their standard products in large quantity of 30 tablets, instead of sample quantity for just two or three days.
For example, when I catch cold, I take few cold tablets for two or three days and usually feel much better until next time.
But the package of thirty tablets sits in the medicne cabinet and the next time I need it, it is usually past the expiry date, so I run to the nearest drug store and buy a new pack of thirty tablets.
If the drug store has the medicine in a pack of five or ten tablets, then this would be great, as it would cost me less (not good for the drug manufacturers and the drug store owner) and I would probably consume the whole or most of the contents with no leftovers.
Buying a pack of 30 tablets means I would have about twenty tablets leftover that might get expired within a certain period. As a good citizen, I would take the expired medicine to the nearest health center, where they have a special box for expired medicine and they know how to handle it properly, I guess using an incinirator.
Unfortunately, most people would just throw it in the dustbin, making it possible for kids and poor people who look for goodies in the dustbins, to take them out, with the possibility of using them, without noticing they are expired.
Another example that happened to me lately is that in winter my fingers get blisters and I use a special medical ointment that helps.
When I looked at the tube of 30 gm that I used last winter, it was almost full, but I noticed that it has expired, so I had to buy a new pack.
Why can't they sell the product in a tube of 5 gm or even 10 gm?
My point with these examples is that if there is some kind of worldwide legislation (FDA for example) that put a demand on the drug manufacturers to supply the product also in smaller quantities of 5 to 10 units, otherwise they would not get the license to sell the medicine, that would help to diminish the amount of medicine pollution in the long run, becides cutting down the cost of medicine to the minimum, both to the health insurance institions and to the individual consumer who might buy off the counter medicine (without prescription).

This post does little more than show you complete lack of knowledge on the topic in question.

The largest pack size of any OTC medicines is usually 24. Most are available in 12 packs. The only exception is generic zirtek which can be bought as a 30 pack but also a 7.

Most 24 packs contain paracetamol or ibuprofen and so taking the standard recommended dose would mean these boxes would last only 3-4 days.
12 packs are almost always available too.

A pack containing 5-10 tabs would only last one day and you'd only have to return to the pharmacy the following day (we call them pharmacies here not drug stores btw).

Also most medicines have a couple of years expiry on them.

Finally, in the same vain, do you think bags of rice should be sold in bags of 50-100g instead of 500-1000g bags? Same principle.

Mint Sauce · 19-12-2010 9:56pm

Just noticed the OPs location, and a google on some of the meds he/she quoted, they are not Irish brands and am gussing that the dispensing laws for medication in the OPs country are totally different to that of here.

Sauve · 19-12-2010 10:01pm

Don't think this thread is really relevant in Ireland tbh, because as other posters said, we can get OTC medication in smaller pack sizes here.

ebixa82 · 19-12-2010 10:28pm

Surprised that in a country such as Isreal, full of tight arsed jews, that all tablets are not sold in single units!

OutlawPete · 19-12-2010 10:48pm

Damn feminism and them independent wimminz I tell ya

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/EE2-changes-trout-chromosome-number

Medicine Pollution

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