Question: Regarding recycling outdated prescription drugs: In California just about any pharmacy takes back and properly disposes of unneeded drugs, rather than flushing them down the toilet, where they cause problems in sewage treatment plants as well as go into the ocean. Here, I've talked to Walmart, Kaiser and some other places, and they look at me like I must be crazy. Isn't there any venue for recycling prescription drugs here in Honolulu?

Answer: No.

“;Unfortunately, the donation of unused prescription drugs has become bleaker since 2006,”; said Lynn Nakasone, program manager for the state Department of Health's Food and Drug Branch.

“;There is currently no mechanism that I know of that can 'recycle' unused prescription drugs,”; she said.

In 2006 we explained the state law that prohibits private individuals from donating unused prescription drugs for use by others because of concerns over safety and liability (see hsblinks.com/2e4).

Back then, Nakasone told us that state law allowed only the Medicine Bank to accept unused drugs, but they had to be samples from manufacturers in original, unopened packaging; samples donated by physicians; or donated drugs in unopened, single-user units prescribed for a single patient from institutional facilities.

However, the Medicine Bank, a donated-drug redistribution program operated by the Hawaii Primary Care Association, closed in 2008 because of financial trouble.

On top of that, two laws dealing with the return/donation of unused drugs will be repealed on July 1: Chapter 328B (Return-for-Credit-and-Reuse of Prescription Drugs) and Chapter 328C (Donation of Pharmaceuticals and Health Care Supplies) of the Hawaii Revised Statutes.

“;We are aware of the waste of 'good' or unused drugs, but logistical problems of returning prescription drugs, then re-dispensing them back to patients, are daunting,”; Nakasone said.

The problem is once a “;chain of custody”; is broken, there's no way to be sure the drug was stored properly, whether it was tampered with or whether a bottle contains pills of different dosages and/or expiration dates, she said.

“;Pharmacies are also reluctant to become repositories of returned prescription drugs as they run the risk of being accused of diversion—selling commonly abused drugs, such as Oxycontin or Viagra, on the black market,”; she said.

If a pharmacy does accept unused drugs, it would be for disposal, not reuse.

In Hawaii the advice is to dispose of unused drugs by flushing them down the toilet, tossing them securely in the trash or returning them to a pharmacy for disposal.

Some people contend it is unsafe to dispose of drugs via the sewage system or trash, but state and city officials say they don't believe there is any danger of drugs leaching into the water or soil (see hsblinks.com/2e5).

Question: Has the Hawaiiana Hotel closed for renovations or something? We've been trying to contact it for several days. I have friends from Guam who stayed there before and would like to stay there again.

Answer: The economy-class hotel closed permanently at the end of 2009, after the owner failed to pay rent for several months.

See hsblinks.com/2gf.

Write to “;Kokua Line”; at Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).