{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,7]],"date-time":"2026-10-07T07:06:04Z","timestamp":1791356764013,"version":"4.3.1"},"reference-count":48,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,11]],"date-time":"2018-01-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1515628800000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["J Int Med Res"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Recent research suggests that the nation\u2019s water supply is contaminated with trace pharmaceuticals that exert a negative environmental and public health impact. Incorrect medication disposal methods (e.g. flushing medications down the toilet or drain) are a significant factor contributing to the presence of medication compounds in the aquatic environment. In this commentary, we provide a summary of the existing data on pharmaceuticals in the nation\u2019s water as well as the role of improper medication disposal methods on water contamination. We discuss statistics on improper medication disposal practices among patients and clinicians as well as recent advances in proper medication disposal methods as a solution to this problem. Currently, many patients and clinicians are not aware of proper medication disposal practices. We summarize the importance of patient and clinician education in advancing environmental-safe medication disposal methods.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/0300060517738681","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,12]],"date-time":"2018-01-12T02:15:00Z","timestamp":1515723300000},"page":"927-939","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":71,"title":["Medication disposal practices: Increasing patient and clinician education on safe methods"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"46","author":[{"given":"Gustavo","family":"Kinrys","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA"},{"name":"Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alexandra K.","family":"Gold","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"John J.","family":"Worthington","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA"},{"name":"Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrew A.","family":"Nierenberg","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA"},{"name":"Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-0300060517738681","unstructured":"Fallik D. 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The history of drinking water treatment, nepis.epa.gov (2000, accessed 2015)."},{"key":"bibr5-0300060517738681","first-page":"68","volume":"10","author":"Smith KA.","year":"2012","journal-title":"Front Immunol"},{"key":"bibr6-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2175\/106143006X123085"},{"key":"bibr7-0300060517738681","unstructured":"United States Environmental Protection Agency. Title XIV of the Public Health Service Act: Safety of Public Water Systems (Safe Drinking Water Act), https:\/\/www.gpo.gov\/fdsys\/pkg\/USCODE-2010-title42\/pdf\/USCODE-2010-title42-chap6A-subchapXII.pdf (2002, accessed 2015)."},{"key":"bibr8-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijheh.2014.12.004"},{"key":"bibr9-0300060517738681","unstructured":"Mendoza M. AP Enterprise: Recent tests detect pharmaceuticals in drinking water of 46 million Americans, http:\/\/hosted.ap.org\/specials\/interactives\/pharmawater_site\/sept11a.html (2008, accessed 2015)."},{"key":"bibr10-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0045-6535(97)00354-8"},{"key":"bibr11-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1098\/rstb.2013.0569"},{"key":"bibr12-0300060517738681","unstructured":"Harvard Health Letter. 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Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment: a white paper on options for the wastewater treatment community, http:\/\/www.dep.state.fl.us\/waste\/quick_topics\/publications\/shw\/meds\/NACWA-PPCPWhitePaper1105.pdf (2005, accessed 2015)."},{"key":"bibr17-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.envint.2010.10.002"},{"key":"bibr18-0300060517738681","first-page":"48","volume":"38","author":"Kuspis DA","year":"1996","journal-title":"Vet Hum Toxicol"},{"key":"bibr19-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3122\/jabfm.19.6.542"},{"key":"bibr20-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.juro.2010.09.088"},{"key":"bibr21-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jpainsymman.2011.03.024"},{"key":"bibr22-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.japh.2015.11.006"},{"key":"bibr23-0300060517738681","first-page":"195","volume":"55","author":"Paut Kusturica M","year":"2016","journal-title":"Zdr Varst"},{"key":"bibr24-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ieam.1746"},{"key":"bibr25-0300060517738681","unstructured":"United States Congress. S. 3397 (111th): Secure and Responsible Medication Disposal Act of 2010, https:\/\/www.govtrack.us\/congress\/bills\/111\/s3397 (2010, accessed 2015)."},{"key":"bibr26-0300060517738681","unstructured":"United States Food & Drug Administration. Controlled Substances Act, https:\/\/www.fda.gov\/RegulatoryInformation\/LawsEnforcedbyFDA\/ucm148726.htm (1970, accessed 2015)."},{"key":"bibr27-0300060517738681","unstructured":"Cassel S. Amending the Controlled Substances Act: Secure and Responsible Medication Disposal Act of 2010 (S. 3397), https:\/\/c.ymcdn.com\/sites\/www.productstewardship.us\/resource\/resmgr\/imported\/S3397_Fact_Sheet.pdf (2010, accessed 2015)."},{"key":"bibr28-0300060517738681","unstructured":"National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization. DEA Releases New Rules for Safe and Secure Prescription Medication Disposal, https:\/\/www.nhpco.org\/sites\/default\/files\/public\/regulatory\/DEA_Drug_Disposal.pdf (2014, accessed 2015)."},{"key":"bibr29-0300060517738681","unstructured":"Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Department of Justice. \nDisposal of controlled substances. Final rule. 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Monitoring the Future Survey, Overview of Findings 2014, https:\/\/www.drugabuse.gov\/related-topics\/trends-statistics\/monitoring-future\/monitoring-future-survey-overview-findings-2014 (2014, accessed 2016)."},{"key":"bibr45-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1289\/ehp.118-a210"},{"key":"bibr46-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.17352\/pjest.000003"},{"key":"bibr47-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3109\/15360288.2014.1002964"},{"key":"bibr48-0300060517738681","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scp.2015.12.001"}],"container-title":["Journal of International Medical Research"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/0300060517738681","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1177\/0300060517738681","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1177\/0300060517738681","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,29]],"date-time":"2026-04-29T10:48:25Z","timestamp":1777459705000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/10.1177\/0300060517738681"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,11]]},"references-count":48,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2018,3]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1177\/0300060517738681"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/0300060517738681","relation":{},"ISSN":["0300-0605","1473-2300"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0300-0605","type":"print"},{"value":"1473-2300","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2018,1,11]]}}}