A pilot project will be conducted in Kozhikode Corporation and the Ulliyeri grama panchayat in the district in the coming weeks ahead of launching the Health department’s New Programme for Removal of Unused Drugs (nPROUD) across the State.

According to sources, nPROUD, a programme under the Drugs Control department, has been conceived for the collection of unused or expired drugs directly from homes or to create spaces for their safe disposal. At present, there is no scientific mechanism to collect and dispose of date-expired or unused drugs in the State. Unscientific disposal of such drugs in normal waste or into waterbodies or soil is reported to be significantly contributing to antimicrobial resistance and environmental pollution. This is happening because the active chemical ingredients could seep into the groundwater or enter the food chain. Health department officials claim that there has been several studies which highlight the environmental impact of the careless disposal of drugs.

Under the project, expired/unused drugs will be collected directly from homes in pre-specified months. People will be asked to leave such drugs in blue-coloured boxes kept at permanent collection centres. The project is being implemented with the help of local self-government bodies and the members of the Haritha Karma Sena. These drugs will be scientifically disposed of at the waste processing and management plant of Kerala Enviro Infrastructure Limited. Health Minister Veena George is scheduled to kick off the project in Kozhikode on February 22. The event will be held at the Jubilee Hall at Kandankulam in the city in the afternoon.

However, this is not the first time the department is launching such a programme. A similar initiative, PROUD, launched in 2019 in association with the Kerala Chemists and Druggists’ Association, could not continue for long due to various reasons. The new programme is expected to be extended across the State based on the response to the pilot project in Kozhikode. The Drugs Control department claims it will ensure the safe disposal of drugs in line with the Biomedical Waste Management Act and its rules.