CHPA explores what consumers do with expired OTCs
WASHINGTON — Consumers understand how to safely and appropriately use OTC medicines, but what they do with unused or expired product may be of concern - as many as 62% of consumers have never sought information about how to properly dispose of unwanted or expired medicines despite the fact that nearly nine in 10 adults (89%) say the way in which someone disposes OTC medicines is important, according to a survey released Tuesday by the Consumer Healthcare Products Association Educational Foundation.
And about half of consumers indicated that they desire to know more about proper disposal of their OTC medicines.
“It’s too easy for unused or expired medications to get into the hands of children, addicts and others for whom they can be dangerous, and we will continue to support consumer education efforts for proper storage and disposal,” stated Stephen Kaminski, executive director and CEO for the American Association of Poison Control Centers.
“This year, the CHPA Educational Foundation made consumer education about safe medicine disposal one of our top priorities, and these survey findings affirm that this is an area where we should continue to grow our programming in order to reach more consumers,” stated Emily Skor, executive director of the CHPA Educational Foundation.
Additional key insights from the survey include the following:
The vast majority of adults with children under 18 in the household and give or purchase OTCs for their child(ren) are diligent when giving OTC medicine to a child. Just about every parent (98%) look closely at the age restrictions on the OTC medicines they give the child(ren) in their household and 96% check the label to make sure the medicine is appropriate for the child(ren)’s age in their household;
Over six in 10 consumers (62%) say they would consult with a healthcare professional if they were going to use an OTC medicine other than how it is directed on the label;
The majority of adults (84%) know where to find information on safe OTC medicine storage, yet some still store their medicines where children can reach them. One in three adults with children in the home (36%) reported that the location where OTC medicines are stored in their home could be accessible to a child;
84% of consumers say they check the expiration date at least sometimes when using an OTC medicine for themselves, and 93% of those with children in the household check at least sometimes for their child; and
Seven in 10 consumers express they could be better at properly disposing of their OTC medications.
In March, the CHPA Educational Foundation relaunched its online home – KnowYourOTCs.org – and populated the website with new resources on OTC medicine disposal including instructions for a simple, FDA-recommended “1, 2, 3 step” method for in-home disposal. Throughout the year, the foundation has distributed this information to consumers through various mediums including an infographic, video and poster. The graphics are distributed widely through the foundation’s social media channels and by the CHPA Educational Foundation’s parent blogger ambassadors. The poster was distributed nationally through a partnership with the American Association of Poison Control Centers and is available for additional groups and consumers to order or download from KnowYourOTCs.org.
The survey was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of the CHPA Educational Foundation in Feb. 2015 among 2,002 U.S. adults 18 and older who have used or purchased oral OTC medicines in the last six months.