Experts warn: Don't throw expired medicines in the trash—health and environmental risks
Improper disposal of medicines is a major problem that poses significant risks to both public health and the environment. Classified as hazardous waste, these pharmaceutical products contain active chemical substances that, once released into the environment, can contaminate soil and water, causing harmful effects on ecosystems and human health.
The lack of an effective system for managing unused and expired pharmaceutical products is increasing the risks to public health.
Experts warn that expired medicines should neither be used nor thrown into the trash. Instead, they should be placed in specially designated collection bins to prevent health risks. According to available data, 90% of expired medicines are discarded into the environment. This careless practice contributes to groundwater and aquatic biodiversity pollution, soil contamination, and poses risks to human health.
Improper disposal of pharmaceutical waste is a major issue with significant consequences for both public health and the environment, says Stela Adauji, PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences.
According to Adauji, some medicines can remain extremely dangerous even after they expire because the substances they contain may degrade into harmful compounds. Antibiotics and narcotic drugs are among the medications that require separate collection and specialized handling.
"In general, using medicines after their expiration date is prohibited. However, a particularly serious risk is posed by chemotherapy drugs, including cytotoxic, cytostatic, genotoxic, mutagenic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic medicines. Another category includes substances subject to international control in the Republic of Moldova, such as narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and precursors. Broadly used medicines—including antimicrobials, antifungals, and antiparasitic drugs—also require special attention, as do chemotoxic substances used in the manufacturing and quality control of medicines," Stela Adauji said on Radio Moldova.
In her view, one of the most effective ways to reduce pharmaceutical waste is through the rational use of medicines.
"The management of pharmaceutical waste is a complex process that includes collection, temporary storage, transportation, treatment, recovery, and final disposal, as well as oversight by the relevant authorities. Responsible waste management and proper regulation are essential for protecting public health and preserving the environment. Raising public awareness and developing effective systems for collecting and disposing of pharmaceutical waste are key to balancing public health needs with environmental protection," she added.
Stela Adauji believes that strengthening and implementing legislation on pharmaceutical waste management, educating the public, and developing efficient collection systems would significantly reduce environmental pollution risks and improve public health, particularly by promoting the rational use of medicines.
Through pharmacy chains participating in an environmental initiative for pharmaceutical waste management, more than one ton of expired medicines is collected from the public every year. After being deposited in collection boxes, the medicines are picked up by a mobile team and temporarily stored under special conditions.
In the next stage, together with other hazardous waste, they are exported to partner facilities in Poland, the Netherlands, or Sweden, where they are destroyed through incineration.
