KRG launches campaign for safe disposal of expired medicine

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Health on Monday launched a campaign for the safe disposal of unwanted and expired medicine as part of the government’s efforts to combat environmental pollution.

Special trash bins will be added to garbage trucks to collect the expired medicine that households wish to get rid of in a safe manner, Erbil Governor Omed Khoshnaw said in a presser on Monday, urging residents to put the unwanted medicine in a sealed plastic bag prior to its disposal. 

Medical centers and clinics across the Region will also have dedicated trash bins for expired medicine, whose risk of abuse and environmental pollution require proper disposal.

Hailing the project, the Region’s head of environmental commission reiterated that the government would continue its measures to combat environmental pollution as part of its agenda.

The cleaning teams will destroy the expired medical items at dedicated facilities in Erbil, the governor said.

In a bid to regulate the medicine market, the ministry has taken several measures in the past four years through tightening the quality control.

The regulatory body has rejected the approval of 150 tons of medicine due to expiration as well as not meeting the protocols.

Several police raids to confiscate expired medicine have been launched by the government as well.