Properly dispose of medicines

While in the emergency room last week, I was shocked when several of the ER nurses told me the ER's procedure for disposing of old medicines is to dump them down the sink. What is that doing to Utah's water supply and wildlife?

And, how widespread is this problem of dumping medicine down the sink or flushing it down the toilet? Do all hospitals/medical facilities practice such dangerous behavior? After my father died while under hospice care in Provo, the hospice nurse flushed all of his medicines down the toilet.

This can't be good for the environment. We need to encourage the medical industry in Utah to properly dispose of all medical waste — even old medicines.

Diane Coffman

Spanish Fork