A pharmacy in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, May 2 (Korea Bizwire) — The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety said Monday it will launch a pilot project to collect and dispose of leftover narcotic drugs through 100 pharmacies in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province.
When there are leftovers of prescribed narcotic drugs such as fentanyl patches and zolpidem, households can bring them to the pharmacies for safe collection and disposal.
The pharmacies participating in the pilot project, which is scheduled to be carried out by the end of this year, will have signage installed at their entrances, making it easier for people to identify them.
The project was first introduced at 99 pharmacies in Gyeonggi Province during the July-November period last year to prevent the abuse and illegal distribution of narcotic drugs.
The initiative contributed to collecting and disposing of approximately 555 kilograms of narcotic drug leftovers.
The ministry noted that domestic doctors prescribe about 1.1 billion units of narcotic drugs annually.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
