A project for the safe disposal of unused or expired drugs has been created by the programme nPROUD (New Programme for Removal of Unused Drugs) under the Drugs Control department. This project aims to collect drugs directly from the homes of people in durations that will be mentioned beforehand. There will also be the installation of blue boxes in permanent locations for the public to discard the drugs. It is also designed to collect unused and expired drugs from clinics and pharmacies in which the collection centers are pre-designated.

The project will be executed efficiently by local self-governments as well as members of the Haritha Karma Sena (HKS). And the disposal will take place scientifically at the waste processing and management plant of Kerala Environment Infrastructure Limited (KEIL) which has gotten the approval of center and state environment departments.

"Expired and unused medicines should not be thrown carelessly into the soil and water bodies. This leads to antimicrobial resistance, health problems and environmental pollution. The Drugs Control Department has taken up this and implemented it because there are no adequate systems in place to collect or scientifically process such medicines", Veena George (Health Minister) said during a press release.

The initiation of the project will be taken care of in Ulliyeri panchayat under Kozhikode Corporation, the project will then expand state-wide. The project will be inaugurated on February 22nd, at Jubilee Hall at Kandankulam.

Kerala has been deemed the first to launch a project for scientific disposal of unused and expired drugs with it being a government-led initiative. An initiative, quite similar to this one, had been attempted in 2019 by PROUD alongside the Kerala Chemists and Druggists’ Association.

Environmental pollution due to medical and pharmaceutical waste has been adverse without any adequate scientific methods of its disposal; hence this initiative by nPROUD seeks to guarantee the disposal of these unused and expired drugs in accordance with regulations and guidelines. Its effective implementation can influence and guide other states in taking steps towards sustainable pharmaceutical waste management. 

.    .    .