Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
A New Way To Address High Drug Costs: Look At What's Being Thrown Into The Trash
Nursing homes routinely dispose of good prescription medication when they could be funneling the pills to needy patients.
ProPublica: America’s Other Drug Problem
Every week in Des Moines, Iowa, the employees of a small nonprofit collect bins of unexpired prescription drugs tossed out by nursing homes after residents died, moved out or no longer needed them. The drugs are given to patients who couldn’t otherwise afford them. But travel 1,000 miles east to Long Island, New York, and you’ll find nursing homes flushing similar leftover drugs down the toilet, alarming state environmental regulators worried they’ll further contaminate the water supply. (Allen, 4/27)
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