County's pill plans hope to avoid bad drug scene

Proposed program could offer an alternative to flushing old pills down the drain

By Andrew Miner

The Beaverton Valley Times, Mar 29, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

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Wait. Don’t flush those old prescription drugs down the toilet.

It could cause serious problems for the region’s water treatment plants. It also could harm fish and wildlife that depend on local rivers and streams.

That’s why Washington County’s Clean Water Services and other agencies are working with local governments to create a new expired drug take-back program.

The plan, which is in the very early stages, would provide an alternative to flushing pills down the drain by allowing people to turn their drugs in at take-back centers.

“Our two objectives are to create awareness that there is a better alternative and to establish a program that gets rid of the pharmaceuticals safely,” said Brenda Bateman, public policy coordinator for the Tualatin Valley Water District.

This month, the water district that provides services to most of unincorporated Washington County and some cities, discussed the proposal during a work session. The district saw a big need for the program because of possible links between flushed pharmaceuticals and hormonal mutations in fish.

Most water treatment plants across the country are meant to handle only organic waste. Old pills that dissolve into harmful chemicals often can’t be treated.

Studies published in 2004 by the University of Colorado discovered the increased “feminization” of fish. Male bass and white sucker fish began producing eggs and growing feminine sexual organs, something that the scientists suspected was from excessive estrogen in the water, possibly from the dissolving pills.

Regulation tangle

Washington County’s take-back program is just one piece of a plan that could spread across Oregon. An effort led by the Oregon Association of Clean Water Agencies could promote the program in other cities and counties.

The take-back idea began in Oregon when Providence Healthcare System built an energy efficient medical center in Newberg that showcased the proposal. This month, Newberg’s City Council approved the first pilot program for a pharmaceutical take-back program in Oregon through the city’s adult-care facilities.

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