Monday, May 16, 2011

Hot Topic | Paint Disposal

Right around the time Spring rolls around, so does the ambitious home improvement to-do lists. A great way to change the look of room is by adding a fresh coat of paint. What most people are not aware of is that you can't just dispose of left over paint with your regular weekly trash pick-up. But never fear, Atlanta Paint Disposal, offers a safe, convenient service to rid your home of its growing stock pile of half empty cans of paint.
Click here for more information.

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Hot Topic | Drug Disposal

One frequently asked questions here at the Georgia Poison Center regarding expired medicines is how to safely dispose of them. The FDA has some helpful tips on how to dispose of medications safely.

Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know

Overview
Medicines play an important role in treating many conditions and diseases, but when they are no longer needed it’s important to dispose of them properly to avoid harm to others. Below, we list some disposal options and some special disposal instructions for you to consider when throwing out expired, unwanted, or unused medicines.

Medicine Take-Back Programs

Medicine take-back programs for disposal are a good way to remove expired, unwanted, or unused medicines from the home and reduce the chance that others may accidentally take the medicine. Contact your city or county government's household trash and recycling service to see if there is a medicine take-back program in your community and learn about any special rules regarding which medicines can be taken back. You can also talk to your pharmacist to see if he or she knows of other medicine disposal programs in your area.

Disposal in Household Trash

If no medicine take-back program is available in your area, consumers can also follow these simple steps to dispose of most medicines in the household trash:1

Mix medicines (do NOT crush tablets or capsules) with an unpalatable substance such as kitty litter or used coffee grounds;
Place the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag; and
Throw the container in your household trash


Flushing of Certain Medicines

There is a small number of medicines that may be especially harmful and, in some cases, fatal in a single dose if they are used by someone other than the person the medicine was prescribed for. List of medicines recommended for disposal by flushing. For this reason, a few medicines have specific disposal instructions that indicate they should be flushed down the sink or toilet when they are no longer needed and when they cannot be disposed of through a drug take-back program. When you dispose of these medicines down the sink or toilet, they cannot be accidently used by children, pets, or anyone else.

You may have also received disposal directions for these medicines when you picked up your prescription. If your medicine is on this list, and you did not receive information containing disposal instructions along with your dispensed prescription, you can find instructions on how to dispose of the medicines at DailyMed1, by searching on the drug name, and then looking in one of the following sections of the prescribing information:

~Information for Patients and Caregivers
~Patient Information
~Patient Counseling Information
~Safety and Handling Instructions
~Medication Guide


FDA remains committed to working with other Federal agencies and medicine manufacturers to develop alternative, safe disposal policies. Below is some additional information about flushing medicine that is no longer needed. If you have additional questions about disposing of your medicine, please contact us at 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332).

Frequently Asked Questions
Why do the medications on the list have flushing directions for disposal?

The medicines on this list of medicines recommended for disposal by flushing are safe and effective when used as prescribed, but they could be especially harmful to a child, pet, or anyone else if taken accidentally. Some of the possible harmful effects include breathing difficulties or heart problems, possibly leading to death. For these reasons, FDA advises that when it isn’t possible to return these medicines through a medicine take-back program, flushing these medicines down the sink or toilet is currently the best way to immediately and permanently remove the risk of harm from the home. FDA continues to work with and encourage the manufacturers of these medicines to develop alternative, safe disposal systems.

All other expired, unwanted, or unused medicines should be disposed of by using a medicine take-back program, if available, or by throwing them away in the household trash.

Does flushing the medicines on the list down the toilet or sink drain pose a risk to human health and the environment?

We are aware of recent reports that have noted trace amounts of medicines in the water system. The majority of medicines found in the water system are a result of the body’s natural routes of drug elimination (in urine or feces). Scientists, to date, have found no evidence of harmful effects to human health from medicines in the environment.

Disposal of these select, few medicines by flushing contributes only a small fraction of the total amount of medicine found in the water. When a medicine take-back program isn’t available, FDA believes that any potential risk to people and the environment from flushing this small, select list of medicines is outweighed by the real possibility of life-threatening risks from accidental ingestion of these medicines. For a list of medicines recommend for disposal by flushing, click here.


Source: FDA

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Interesting Fact | Antihistamines and Kids

One of our top 5 substances involving children under the age of 5 for April includes antihistamines. It's allergy season and while trying to control the annoying symptoms that plague allergy sufferers, remember to practice child safety precautions when using medications.



  • Keep medicines and vitamins in bottles with child-safety caps (child-resistant packaging). Remember, child-safety caps are not child proof! Make sure the safety caps are on tight at all times.


  • Store medicine and vitamins in locked cabinets out of the reach and sight of children.


  • After you use a medicine, place the safety cap back onto the bottle tightly. Return the bottle to a locked cabinet.


  • If you have outdated (expired) medications, contact us at 1.800.222.1222 on information on the proper way to dispose of these medications.

  • Thursday, April 28, 2011

    Hot Off The Press | GPC 2010 Annual Report

    We are pleased to announce the publication of the Georgia Poison Center’s 2010 Annual Report. This report outlines the services the Center provided to the 9.8 million citizens, living in the 159 counties throughout Georgia. By providing this annual highlight of our operations, you’ll see that we saved lives, and did so in a cost effective manner.







    Although we’ve overcome a number of challenges in the past decade, difficult times are ahead of us. We hope that you will advocate for not only the continued services of the Georgia Poison Center, but for the services poison centers provide across the nation. With your support, we’ll remain committed to save lives; one call, one email, and one chat at a time.

    Wednesday, April 27, 2011

    Think Poison | Beauty Is Skin Deep

    For the past few months, the most calls received involving children under the age of 5 has involved cosmetic and personal care products. These items are usually found in abundance in households across the nation and are sometimes carelessly placed about because they are identified as harmless. Unfortunately, anything used outside of its normal intention can be dangerous.

    While researching health related articles, one made mention of a database created by the Environmental Working Group which provides safety ratings (with zero being the safest and 10 being the most hazardous) for a range of products, based on its ingredients, they have tested, from dyes and shampoos to sunscreen and makeup. I found this to be quite interesting, since it has been often commented in regards to personal care products, "if you can't eat it, you probably shouldn't be lathering it on."

    To view this database, click here. It is quite interesting to see where your favorite products rate.

    Monday, April 25, 2011

    Think Poison | First Aid Kit for Pets

    Most homes have a first aid kit to help treat those inevitable boo-boos! But if you have a pet did you think of a first aid kit just for them? The ASPCA outlines some key items to invest in for an emergency first-aid kit for your pet.


    The kit should contain:

    •A fresh bottle of hydrogen peroxide, 3 percent USP (to induce vomiting)
    •A turkey baster, bulb syringe or large medicine syringe (to administer peroxide)
    •Saline eye solution
    •Artificial tear gel (to lubricate eyes after flushing)
    •Mild grease-cutting dishwashing liquid (for bathing an animal after skin contamination)
    •Forceps (to remove stingers)
    •A muzzle (to protect against fear- or excitement-induced biting)
    •A can of your pet’s favorite wet food
    •A pet carrier

    Always consult a veterinarian or the APCC for directions on how and when to use any emergency first-aid item.

    Source: ASPCA

    Friday, April 22, 2011

    Think Poison | Pet Safety for Easter

    Spring flowers can be toxic to pets



    Posted by Susan Gilmore of The Seattle Times


    With spring officially here, the Seattle Animal Shelter is warning cat owners about the dangers flowers can pose to cats.

    "Lilies, including Easter lily, tiger lily, rubrum lily, Japanese show lily and some species of day lilies can cause kidney failure in cats," said Don Jordan, director of the Seattle Animal Shelter. "All parts of the lily plant are considered toxic to cats and consuming even small amounts can be life threatening."

    He said within only a few hours of ingesting the toxic plant material, a cat may vomit, become lethargic or lose its appetite. The signs worsen as kidney damage progresses and without prompt treatment a cat may develop kidney failure within 36 hours.

    To help educate cat owners and veterinarians about the dangers of lilies and other plants, the Animal Poison Control Center and the "No Lilies for Cats Campaign," have developed online materials including photos of common types of dangerous lilies and a list of non-toxic plants. To download the materials, visit www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants or www.noliliesforcats.com/


    Source: The Seattle Times