COIMBATORE: Following several incidents of open dumping of medical waste and expired drugs, the Drug Administration Department has directed drug sellers to strictly adhere to the disposal guidelines issued by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO).
The department has also been consulting the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the Coimbatore district administration to implement large-scale drug disposal practices, extending the initiative to the general public.
Open dumping of medical waste and expired medicines poses serious environmental and public health risks, contributing to pollution, antimicrobial resistance, and ecosystem damage. Improper disposal methods, such as throwing waste into regular trash or flushing it down toilets, allow hazardous substances to contaminate air, water, and soil.
Several such incidents have been reported in Coimbatore in recent days, prompting the department to instruct wholesalers to streamline proper disposal practices across their trade networks.
Section 65(17) of the Drugs Rules, under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, prohibits the sale or stocking of drugs beyond their expiry date or in violation of label instructions. The rule ensures that only safe and potent medicines reach consumers and provides for their destruction through authorised channels.
Expired drugs must be returned to the manufacturer via distributors, stockists, and retailers; no other party is permitted to destroy them, said S Marimuthu, Assistant Director of Drug Control, Coimbatore zone.
“CDSCO’s May 2025 guidelines establish a clear chain of responsibility. Retailers must return expired drugs to manufacturers or suppliers within 30 days. Manufacturers are required to dispose of these drugs within six months. If this chain is broken, the drugs should be disposed of through TNPCB. We have emphasised that all wholesalers follow these procedures rigorously,” he added.
Coimbatore district has around 2,300 retail pharmacies and 450 wholesale suppliers. Marimuthu also said authorities were working on a framework to collect unused drugs from households, preventing them from becoming open dumps. “With the support of TNPCB, the district administration, and civic bodies, we can collect unused medicines from every home, similar to a solid waste collection drive,” he said.
