2. Medicines can take many years to degrade and persist for a
long time in the environment. Many medicines are now
detectable at low levels in the environment. To prevent
unnecessary environmental contamination, medicines should
not be treated as general
waste. They are not suitable for landfill and should not be
poured down the sink, flushed down the toilet or otherwise
permitted to enter the water table. Disposal of
pharmaceuticals should be carried out under the supervision
of regional and national
