{"id":151512,"date":"2025-06-02T07:21:17","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T07:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/151512\/"},"modified":"2025-06-02T07:21:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T07:21:17","slug":"flush-dont-toss-cdscos-advice-for-safe-disposal-of-17-potent-drugs-when-expired-or-unused","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/151512\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Flush, don\u2019t toss\u2019: CDSCO\u2019s advice for safe disposal of 17 potent drugs when expired or unused"},"content":{"rendered":"

Children and pets are particularly vulnerable, and the risk of accidental ingestion at home is high enough to warrant immediate and irreversible disposal. \n <\/p>\n

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Published Jun 02, 2025 | 8:00 AM \u268a Updated Jun 02, 2025 | 8:00 AM<\/p>\n


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\"\u2018Flush,<\/p>\n

The 17 drugs listed in the advisory include some of the most powerful and commonly used opioids, sedatives, and stimulants.<\/p>\n

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Synopsis<\/strong>: The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has issued an unusual advisory urging the public to flush 17 highly potent medicines down the toilet or sink if expired or unused, rather than discarding them in household rubbish. This measure aims to prevent fatal accidental ingestion, especially by children and pets, as these drugs \u2013 including fentanyl and morphine \u2013 pose severe risks even in small doses.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In an unusual advisory, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has urged the public to flush 17 specific medicines down the toilet or sink if they are expired or unused \u2013 rather than discarding them in household rubbish.<\/p>\n

The directive<\/a> addresses a critical but often overlooked risk: several of the listed medicines are so potent that they could prove fatal if ingested by anyone other than the intended patient, even in small doses.<\/p>\n

Children and pets are particularly vulnerable, and the risk of accidental ingestion at home is high enough to warrant immediate and irreversible disposal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a small number of medicines that may be especially harmful and in some cases, fatal with just one dose if they are used by someone other than the person for whom the medicine was prescribed,\u201d the CDSCO notes.<\/p>\n

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\nWhich drugs are on the list?<\/b><\/p>\n

The 17 drugs listed in the advisory include some of the most powerful and commonly used opioids, sedatives, and stimulants.<\/p>\n

Fentanyl and its derivative, Fentanyl Citrate, top the list. These opioids are among the most potent available and can cause respiratory failure within minutes if misused.<\/p>\n

Other opioids such as Morphine Sulphate, Methadone Hydrochloride, and Hydromorphone Hydrochloride \u2013 typically prescribed for severe pain \u2013 are similarly dangerous even in small quantities if ingested accidentally.<\/p>\n

The list also includes more commonly prescribed drugs such as Diazepam, a benzodiazepine used to treat anxiety and seizures, and Methylphenidate, a stimulant used for attention-deficit disorders. Both carry serious risks if misused.<\/p>\n

Tramadol, Oxycodone, and Tapentadol \u2013 opioid-based medicines prescribed to manage moderate to severe pain \u2013 are also included.<\/p>\n

The complete list of drugs is as follows:<\/p>\n