New Delhi: The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has issued a stern warning regarding the careless disposal of expired medicines, emphasizing that 17 specific drugs can cause significant harm to human health, animals, and the environment if not handled responsibly.
According to the advisory, these medicines commonly used to treat anxiety, neurological disorders, and severe pain in cancer patients should never be discarded in household garbage, open spaces, or public bins. Instead, the CDSCO recommends that these expired drugs be safely flushed down a toilet or washed away in a basin to avoid potential misuse or environmental contamination.
The list of medicines includes potent opioids, sedatives, and psychotropics such as fentanyl, diazepam, buprenorphine, morphine sulfate, methadone, tramadol, and methylphenidate. These substances, if improperly disposed, could leach into the soil and water systems, endangering local ecosystems and posing risks to sanitation workers, children, and stray animals who may unknowingly come into contact with them.
The CDSCO also highlighted the risk of expired medications being collected from waste, repackaged, and illegally resold an alarming trend that undermines public safety. Furthermore, the improper disposal of antibiotics may contribute to the growing global threat of antimicrobial resistance, the agency warned.
While most medications lose their efficacy after expiry, some may trigger dangerous side effects due to chemical degradation. Hence, the CDSCO has urged the public to treat expired drugs with the same caution as any hazardous material and to follow safe disposal guidelines strictly.
This move is part of a broader effort by the national regulator to instill public awareness and accountability in pharmaceutical waste management, ensuring both community safety and environmental protection.