The Ministry of Health announced on Apr. 7 that it has established 164 collection points across Lima Metropolitan to allow residents to safely dispose of expired or unused medicines and help prevent their illegal resale.
The initiative aims to address the public health risks posed by improper disposal of pharmaceuticals, which can be recycled and sold illegally if thrown in regular trash bins. There are also environmental concerns, as active ingredients from discarded medicines can contaminate soil and water when not disposed of correctly.
Vanessa Brigada, head of the Anti-Illegal Trade Team at the General Directorate of Medicines, Supplies and Drugs (Digemid), said that these collection points are equipped with containers placed in public pharmacies, health facilities, and offices of the Integrated Health Networks Directorates (Diris) throughout Lima. “In these locations, people can dispose of expired tablets or capsules, products in poor condition, leftover syrups and pills, as well as opened items that were not stored properly such as syrups, eye drops, creams,” Brigada said.
Brigada also said that improperly discarded pharmaceuticals pose a risk to public health due to possible illegal reuse and sale. She added that environmental harm may occur if drugs are thrown into household waste or drains. Digemid reminds the public that all medications, medical devices, and sanitary products should only be deposited at authorized collection sites to avoid endangering people’s health or the environment.
All collected items will be destroyed according to regulations under Digemid supervision so they do not cause environmental damage. The program began in 2017 through coordination with regional health directorates; currently there are also 47 permanent collection points elsewhere in Peru. Residents can find locations for Lima at this official link and for other regions here.
The Ministry says it remains committed to promoting safe use of pharmaceutical products and encourages citizens to utilize these drop-off sites.
