How Should Responsibility for Proper Medication Disposal Be Shared?

Pharmaceutical companies' capital, influence, and labor force well equip them to assume responsibility for public medication disposal programs. Government- and industry-funded campaigns for medication disposal do work, but responsibility often falls on local health care organizations to provide education and services. Lack of public awareness about how to dispose of medications and the ramifications of contaminating our natural resources and ecosystems with pharmaceuticals suggest a need for collaboration among pharmaceutical companies, government officials, clinicians, and patients.