HPSA issues urgent call for Canadians to return unused medications

The Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA) is calling on Canadians to head to their local pharmacy with unwanted, unused, and expired medications. According to HPSA, a national not-for-profit that operates medication-return programs, the issue is urgent. “The need for Canadians to take action is now more important than ever,” says HPSA Director General Terri Drover in Woodbridge, ON. “The pandemic has exacerbated the rate of accidental drug poisoning and overdose, which was already on the rise.” A recent Statistics Canada report found that since the start of the pandemic, the majority of excess deaths among Canadians under 65 came from substance abuse and overdose, including opioids and drugs. The study found there were 3,770 deaths caused by unintentional poisoning in 2020 compared to 3,240 such deaths in 2019. In particular, significant increases were observed in Ontario and Alberta. (Excess deaths are the difference between the observed numbers of deaths in specific time periods and expected numbers of deaths in those same time periods.) Of particular concern is the increase in opioid-related deaths in the past year that have been reported by many provinces. In Ontario, for instance, the vast majority of confirmed opioid-related deaths continue to be accidental in nature. Poisonings also account for a significant number of hospitalizations and an even greater number of emergency department visits each year. “Access to excess drugs in the home can be a contributing factor, and so proper disposal is an essential practice to help curb the trend and protect Canadians,” says Drover. HPSA, which operates programs in British Columbia, Ontario, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island, would like Canadians to do two things to enhance their safety and reduce the likelihood of accidental overdoses and poisoning. The first step is education. “We are urging Canadians to learn more about the safe disposal of medications and sharps, and to get rid of any medications and sharps that are unused, unwanted or expired through take-back programs at their local pharmacy,” says Drover. A survey conducted by HPSA found that 34% of Canadians still do not know about proper disposal despite the fact that, within participating provinces, 90% of pharmacies offer take-back programs. In addition to potentially leading to accidental drug overdose and abuse, notes Drover, these products might cause harm to the environment when disposed of improperly. “When thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet, they can end up in landfills and waterways.” Armed with information, HPSA would like Canadians to take a second critical step: returning unused or unwanted medications and sharps to one of the 5,800 participating pharmacies across Canada. For its part, HPSA is working with provincial governments, manufacturers, and pharmacies, among others, to ensure that Canadians have the information and resources they need to make responsible safe disposal decisions. “We are also continuing to expand our program to increase the number of provinces and pharmacies that participate,” says Drover. Read HPSA's medications return program celebrating 20 years of safe disposal.

HPSA issues urgent call for Canadians to return unused medications

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