Ever taste, really taste, a drink of water and try to pick out trace elements of Oxycontin and Paxil?
OK, I haven't either, but scientists say that traces of all the prescription drugs we flush down the toilet are beginning to show up in trace amounts in our water supplies. It isn't enough to eliminate road rage or lower our cholesterol, but it's a concern since water filters don't screen them out.
Walgreens leads the way on an alternative to flushing unwanted prescription and over-the-counter drugs down the toilet. You can now buy a specially designed envelope ($3) that allows the person to place, seal and mail the meds for "safe, eco-friendly disposal," according to Walgreens.
The mailed-in meds will be handled by Sharps Compliance Corp , a full-service provider of solutions for medical waste and unused dispensed medications. The meds are incinerated and the ashes used in, I'm not making this up, green building materials.
The $3 bags are now available in Walgreens stores. The price includes postage to mail the envelope.
