Swedish pharmacy chain Apoteket has issued a renewed call for proper disposal of unused medications, warning that improper disposal contributes to antibiotic resistance and environmental damage. According to reports from Aftonbladet and Expressen, despite over 1,400 tons of medication being collected annually through Apoteket's return system, significant amounts still end up in sewage systems and household waste.
Last year, approximately half a million leftover medications were returned to Apoteket, but the company says more needs to be done. Particularly important to return are antibiotics, hormone medications, and the environmentally hazardous pain medication diclofenak. Even small amounts of medication residues can affect fish reproduction and contribute to the spread of resistant bacteria.
returning medications reduces environmental impact, relieves treatment plants, and leads to less impact on the environment and people.
Louise Skalin, chief pharmacist at Apoteket, stated in a press release that 'returning medications reduces environmental impact, relieves treatment plants, and leads to less impact on the environment and people.' The pharmacy chain emphasizes that medications should never be flushed down toilets or thrown in regular household waste, but instead returned to pharmacies for proper disposal.