We are all responsible for doing our part to help improve the state of the Baltic Sea. As Finland’s leading pharmaceutical distributor and service provider, we at Tamro want to actively promote the wellbeing of the environment and invite everyone in Finland to join us.
Change doesn’t require miracles – we can help the Baltic Sea and nature with our daily choices and actions!
1) Prepare only for immediate needs
According to a survey by the Association of Finnish Pharmacies, hospitals and consumers return more than 400,000 kilos of expired or unnecessary drugs to pharmacies every year.
What we do at Tamro
Although we are a pharmaceutical wholesaler, we don’t just focus on large deliveries. At our warehouse, we package shipments of all sizes, including tiny quantities for individual pharmacies.
We train our pharmaceutical warehouse employees on practices that reduce drug waste. Our warehouse personnel have also drawn up guidelines for reducing drug waste. We have visual instructions for packaging pharmaceutical shipments to ensure that they are not damaged on the way to customers. We instruct on the use of a safety box cutter to ensure that the pharmaceutical packages inside the cardboard boxes are not damaged by accident.
How you can help
The most effective way to reduce drug waste is to only buy medication for a real need. For example, if you stock up on self-administered drugs, they may expire in the medicine cabinet. When starting a new drug treatment, begin with smaller packages whenever possible. If your medication must be changed in the middle of the treatment, a smaller package creates less drug waste.
2) Handle medication correctly
While we may never get rid of all drug waste, but it is important to check from time to time that you are not storing unnecessary or expired drugs.
What we do at Tamro
At Tamro, we make sure that pharmaceutical products are handled properly. For example, we follow the principle of first expired, first out. The product due to expire first is shipped out first, regardless of when it arrived at our warehouse. This way, drugs do not expire at our warehouse before they are shipped to pharmacies and hospitals.
How you can help
Go over your medicine cabinet regularly. Get a separate box for drug waste and place it out of reach of children and pets. Sort expired and unused drugs to make it easier to return them to a pharmacy in one go: for example, drugs containing iodine and cytostatic drugs, such as cancer medication, must be returned separately in their original packaging. Pack syringes and needles in a plastic bottle or glass jar, for example. Make sure that liquid drugs, creams and aerosols are properly sealed.
3) Do not flush drugs down the toilet
Pharmaceutical agents end up with wastewater when using the toilet or shower or washing hands. As these activities can hardly be stopped and the medicine must still be taken, we need to find other ways to take care of the environment. Drugs should not be thrown out in the drain or trash.
What we do at Tamro
We reduce the amount of drug residues in the environment by correctly disposing of all drugs.
How you can help
Do not flush drug waste down the drain as some residues will pass through water treatment and cause damage to nature. Expired and unused drugs are always hazardous waste and must be returned to a pharmacy. Returning drugs is free of charge. Basic creams, nutritional supplements and natural remedies are an exception and can be recycled as mixed waste.
4) Switching from drug packages to sachets
Pharmaceutical packaging is also a strain on the environment. That's why even small actions matter.
What we do at Tamro
Our subsidiary Pharmac Finland Oy provides automated dose dispensing services to reduce drug waste and drug packaging waste. By delivering drugs in sachets with enough doses for just two weeks, the service ensures that drugs do not expire or go unused.
How you can help
When disposing of drugs in their packaging, sort everything separately: drugs to a pharmacy, and the cardboard and plastic used in outer packaging in the correct recycling bin. Inner packaging material that is in direct contact with the product may contain drug residues and should not be recycled with other packaging.
When returning capsules and tablets to a pharmacy, take them out of the original packaging and place them loose in a transparent plastic bag. Liquid drugs should be returned in their original packaging and packed in a plastic bag. Remove prescription labels from the packaging before returning them.
If you have several medications that you take regularly, ask your pharmacy for more about the Pharmac oma-annos dose dispensing service. Automated dose dispensing makes taking your daily medication easier and reduces both drug waste as well as errors related to medication dosing. Find your nearest oma-annos pharmacy at www.oma-annos.fi
We can do this together!
The Baltic Sea is particularly sensitive to man-made pollution. There is strength in working together, and we challenge every company and individual to take steps towards a healthier Baltic Sea and environment. Innovating together and challenging traditional ways of thinking do not require great sacrifices. Our everyday choices make a difference. We can do this together!
