Algarve’s solid waste management company ALGAR and Valormed, the association responsible for the management of unused medicines, have signed a cooperation protocol aimed at minimising the impact of medicines not in use on public health and the environment.
According to Valormed, it is essential that people return old medicines to their local pharmacies instead of disposing of them in the normal waste containers.
The initiative includes the placing of stickers on all waste containers, bearing the inscription Medicamento aqui não, na farmácia sim (Medicine not here, return it to your pharmacy).
“Out-of-date medicines must be taken to pharmacies and should never be disposed of in rubbish bins or down the drain as they are chemical products. This is hazardous to the environment as they dissolve in water, contaminating it,” said the spokesman from Valormed.
