Recycling meds could benefit health care system

by Anne Law, April 18th, 2008, 6:37 am

Bizmology fans who read my post on pharmaceutical contamination of water supplies last month may recall the suggestion that health care facilities and individuals take unused prescriptions to collection centers to help prevent the buildup of chemicals in drinking water.

A recent Associated Press article outlines the rise of state programs that recycle prescriptions with two additional benefits in mind — redistributing the medications to those who can’t afford it and, in turn, battling skyrocketing medical costs. With the number of uninsured patients (and drug prices) steadily rising, the idea is worth examining. While the recycling programs require the extra effort of sorting and verifying drug types and checking for safety (as opposed to collection centers simply destroying the meds), ultimately I think the programs could have a significant impact.

According to the article, more than 30 states are running or exploring drug recycling programs. The goal is to provide prescriptions to those who wouldn’t be able to get them otherwise, thus improving their health and avoiding future ER visits or hospital stays. This is an especially timely issue as many hospitals are facing the financial burden of treating uninsured patients who can’t afford primary care. (Some hospitals are also trying to cut costs by recycling medical devices.)

While the results are small to date, facilitators are optimistic that the programs could have a larger impact on medical costs and patient health over the long term. This will likely not happen, however, unless there is an increase in publicity of the programs and an expansion of programs into additional areas.

I doubt many of us know where to find a local pharmaceutical recycling center or if our doctor’s office participates in such a program. Some state programs are only open to facility donations, but the programs could excel if they were convenient for everyone to participate. While drug makers like Pfizer and Merck probably wouldn’t jump for joy at missing out on the possible sales, it would be difficult to argue with the need for alternatives to high health care costs.