Abstract
In the United States, for the past decades, poison control centers have long recommended discarding medications to sewerage to prevent accidental and purposeful poisonings from occurring. The first federal disposal guidelines for drug disposal were published in 2007. In 2008, an Associated Press investigation revealed that pharmaceuticals were found in drinking water supplies of many Americans. However, pharmaceuticals in our drinking water are not a new finding; since humans began to use medicine for healing purposes, deposits of ingredients have been added to water. As pharmaceutical agents in the water have been linked to abnormalities in aquatic life, concerns about impact to human health have arisen. As public concern grows about the impact of pharmaceuticals in the water, hospice home care nurses, as the only nurse specialist required to ensure disposal of unused medications upon a patient's death, are also beginning to question if there is a better way to dispose of unused medication. This article will discuss (1) pharmaceutical agents in the water, (2) environmental pathways and aquatic exposure, (3) possible human health effects, (4) gaps in data about hospice nursing knowledge and practice, and (5) recommendations for hospice nursing practice, research, and advocacy.