Millions In Pills - Going Down The Drain
At Nursing Homes, Brand New Medications Flushed Away
(CBS) It's a ritual at nursing homes across the country that few outsiders
ever witness.
Brand new medicine left over from patients whose prescriptions changed,
who
were discharged or passed away, is methodically punched out of unopened
blister packs and, unbelievably, flushed down the toilet, CBS News
investigative correspondent Sharyl Attkisson re****ts.
At St. Anthony's nursing home in New Orleans, the deed is done by a former
ER nurse who was stunned when she first saw so many drugs going down the
drain.
"I'd see people coming into the ER who are so ill because they haven't
been
able to afford their medicine. And here I was flu****ng what they needed
down
the toilet," said Pam Rowland, director of nursing at St. Anthony's. "It's
discouraging."
Federal law has long required nursing homes to destroy leftover drugs to
protect against misuse. Turns out the simplest way to get rid of them is
flu****ng. And it's been common practice as long as chief pharmacist Jack
Sassone can remember.
"We've got policy-makers that make these policies for us and we have to
follow," said Sassone.
Nobody knows just how much perfectly good medicine is being flushed at
nursing homes nationwide, but one study puts the value as high as $378
million a year.
And because most older Americans are covered by government prescription
drug
plans, you are paying for all that waste.
At another nursing home we agreed not to identify, a nurse is also busy
punching pills. Each card represents a wasted prescription:
$100 worth of an Alzheimer's drug (Namenda).
A $260 prescription for a memory medicine (Exelon).
$300 worth of blood thinner (Plavix).
The medicine also includes unopened syringes full of medicine to prevent
blood clots. One box of ten syringes costs more than $1,000, but won't be
helping anybody.
The FDA, which regulates drug disposal, has decided against creating a
national program to donate the drugs to the poor, and instead leaves it up
to the states.
Without federal direction, they haven't figured out how to do it
effectively
on a large scale.
Back at St. Anthony's, the owner says he'd rather to see the medicine go
to
those who can't afford it. But there's no place in New Orleans that takes
it.
So the ritual continues. Even after all the pill punching we saw, there's
more.
"You'll notice, if you can see, I have four boxes," Rowland said.
Boxes of valuable pills and your tax dollars . flushed.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/11/eveningnews/main4010772.shtml?source=search_story
|
