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Idaho News: Prescription Drug Disposal by Hospice Employees
Published in the December 2008 Idaho State Board of Pharmacy Newsletter
Hospice agencies are licensed by the state to provide care within the health and safety standards established by Idaho statute and rule. Currently all Schedule II through IV controlled substances no longer needed by the hospice patient should be disposed of in the patient’s home following the guidelines given below. All destruction of controlled substance prescriptions should be witnessed by a family member or another caregiver. Currently there is no provision in Idaho that allows a hospice nurse or care provider to remove unwanted controlled substances from a patient’s home for off-site disposal, storage, and/or reuse. Pharmaceuticals that are prescribed to patients and disposed of in the patient’s home by hospice or home health care workers or family members are considered household waste, rather than hazardous waste and may be disposed of through the sewer or trash following federal guidelines for proper disposal. These guidelines include removing the pharmacy label and adding kitty litter or coffee grounds to the medication before adding it to the garbage in a nondescript container or by adding water to the medication and reducing it to a sludge-like preparation before disposing of the contents.
