These groups may face a higher risk of health complications, particularly during strenuous walks of up to 25 km in a day under extreme summer heat
The medicines can be given at the Dubai Health Authority pharmacies located across 16 primary healthcare centres and its hospitals — Dubai, Rashid, Latifa and Hatta.
Safety tips for medication and storage
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Officials said at the launch of the campaign ‘Clean your medicine cupboard’ on Thursday that expired medicines could become toxic and cause harm to individuals and environment if not disposed of properly.
“Some medicines are explosive while others become toxic after expiry,” said Dr Ali Sayed, Director of Pharmaceutical Services Department at the DHA.
“Even if the medicines are dumped in the sewage, they are still causing harm to the environment. We need to get rid of them in a safe way,” he added.
The authority will dispose of the collected expired medication in line with international pharmaceutical safety guidelines. Unused pills in good condition will be sorted out and donated to charities.
Khalid Al Sheikh Mubarak, Deputy Director-General of the authority, said: “The campaign is being held to ensure people do not store expired medication in their homes as it is a safety hazard. Our aim is to ensure correct method of disposal, which is returning expired or unutilised medication to pharmacies.”
He said the programme was first introduced in June 2012 and the DHA is holding this campaign to remind people and to reinforce this habit. Tonnes of expired medicine were disposed of in coordination with the Dubai Municipality during the first campaign.
Dr Ali said that medicines should be checked regularly to ensure the medicine box does not have expired medication. “Medicines should be stored in a cool and dry place; they should be in one container that is out of the reach and sight of children and pets. These are basic precautions which parents should always keep in mind,” he added. - asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com
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