DO you ever give a thought to how you discard unwanted or unused medicines?
The easiest way may be to pour it into the sink, flush it down the toilet or throw it off with the rest of your garbage, but these habits have a dangerous end result.
Pressurised asthma inhalers which are often discarded before they are completely empty, for example, contain propellants which are greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
Each inhaler releases greenhouse gases that can fill 300 balloons and when combined with any leftover medication, can combust or seep into the environment.
Therefore, proper disposal of these unwanted waste materials is crucial. Furthermore, blister packaging commonly used in medication storage contributes to landfill waste, and unfinished medications in these blister packs may leach into the ground or waterways.
To target this habit, which has the potential to harm the environment, GSK Malaysia has launched the second phase of its nationwide #GiveBack campaign, which promotes responsible disposal of medical waste.
The campaign is a nationwide Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) effort to collect used, expired or unwanted asthma inhalers and medicine blister packaging for proper and safe disposal, and it features expanded partnerships that broaden its reach and increase the number of collection points for greater ease and participation.
The campaign offers the Malaysian public a convenient way to dispose of their used inhalers and leftover medicine blister packs responsibly, lessening their impact on our environment, says GSK Malaysia and Brunei vice president and general manager, Dr Jonathan Pan.
The campaign started its pilot phase in June last year with Big Pharmacy and now has been expanded with additional partner pharmacies and healthcare groups on board.
The #GiveBack campaign is aligned with the Ministry of Health's 'Returning Medicines' campaign.
"We urge all Malaysians to support this effort by bringing their used or unfinished asthma inhalers and blister packs to any of the collection points for proper disposal. We need to balance the necessity of dispensing medication that is securely packaged while acknowledging its impact on the environment and doing what we can to reduce our carbon footprint," says Malaysian Pharmacists Society president, Professor Amrahi Buang.
To further engage the public, GSK has commissioned an art installation using discarded blister packs and asthma inhalers.
The installation, designed by students from The Design School at Taylor's University, highlights the importance of proper medical waste disposal and its impact on the environment while also providing an opportunity for the next generation to get involved in environmental advocacy.
The installation will be displayed during the GSK #GiveBack Roving Truck roadshow at high-traffic venues across the Klang Valley.
The #GiveBack campaign will continue accepting used or unwanted asthma inhalers and medicine blister packs at any GSK #GiveBack bins located in partner pharmacies and hospitals/clinics nationwide.
The public can also drop off medical waste during the Roving Truck roadshow ongoing until June 26.