Medication disposal: Quebecers are well informed, but slow to act according to survey

Although the majority of Quebecers know how to properly dispose of their medications and other pharmaceutical products, too few of them put this knowledge into practice, according to a new survey whose results were shared with The Canadian Press.

There are also some gaps among the Quebec population regarding their understanding of the dangers that natural products can pose if they are not disposed of properly.

“The results are encouraging, but there is still room for improvement,” summarized Alain Renard, Director of Management Programs (Eastern Canada) for the Association pour la récupération de produits santé (ARPS).

“But in fact, Quebec ranks very favorably compared to all the provinces where ARPS is present.”

Approximately two-thirds of Quebecers know where to return their medications and sharps, but 40 per cent of the population still does not do so properly, the survey shows.

One-third of Quebec participants who dispose of their medications explained that they were unaware that they could or should be returned for safe collection. One in five Quebecers said they did not know where safe collection points are located.

Paradoxically, three-quarters of Quebecers believe that collection points are easy to locate or reach; consider the system practical and easy to use; and acknowledge that it is easy to find where to return products.

Approximately one in five Quebec participants admit that returning medications is too unimportant or too tedious for them to do so, or explain that they lack the time or motivation to do so. The risks associated with improper disposal are, however, well understood, particularly for medications: 67 per cent of Quebec survey participants know that it can pollute water, 58 per cent that it risks contaminating the soil, and 49 per cent that it can pose a risk to the food chain.

A first solution, said Alain Renard, involves better consumption planning.

“Before I go out and buy Tylenol, do I still have some in my medicine cabinet?” he cited as an example. “And if I do, and if the product is expired, don’t just leave it there and take it back to the pharmacy.”

So-called “natural” products can be problematic for the environment, and a third of Quebecers don’t know how to properly dispose of them, added Renard.

If a product packaging has a Natural Product Number (NPN), it means it’s a regulated product that must be returned to a pharmacy or veterinary clinic, he said. “It’s a simple thing,” Renard emphasized.

“Based on the survey results, we’ll target the areas where we need to better communicate so that consumers better understand and are more aware of the issues, and so that we can all work together to better manage these products,” he concluded.

The ARPS manages free take-back programs to safely dispose of unused medications and used sharps in Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Prince Edward Island.

The ARPS take-back program was launched in Quebec and New Brunswick only last year.

The survey was conducted by Léger for ARPS among more than 4,000 people across the country, including 890 in Quebec.

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–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews