Dr. Rachel E. Selekman is a pediatric urologist at Children’s National Hospital and the study’s lead author. Valley News/Children’s National Hospital photo
The callers pretended to be well-meaning parents who were trying to safely dispose of unneeded antibiotics and opioid-based prescription painkillers after their child’s surgery. Fewer than half of the California pharmacies they called provided correct prescription drug disposal details, a percentage that dropped sharply if the “secret shoppers” made their call on a weekend, according to a brief research report published online Dec. 31, in Annals of Internal Medicine.“The Food and Drug Administration advises consumers about how to safely dispose of unneeded medicines and, because pharmacists can play an integral role in this conversation, the American Pharmacists Association says prescription medication disposal should follow FDA guidelines,” Dr. Rachel E. Selekman, a pediatr
