Drugs in Land Fill Shocker

Angryjohn · 17-08-2006, 11:33 AM

The Enviroment Agency is forcing the charity Intercare to shut.

Intercare recieved donations of surpless NHS drugs and donated them to Africa and has been doing so for the last 30 years. Now they are forced to bury the perfectly good and in date drugs in a landfill for £200 a pop.

Sky has the full story.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...537746,00.html

The Sky broadcast hinted last night that EU legeslation has forced this issue although I can't find anyting on EU involvment in the Sky text.

Whether this is EU or not, I would still like someone to get angry about this. I have written to my MP (Mark Oaten) and await his response.

BASILDON BOY · 17-08-2006, 12:21 PM

Instead of writing to disgraced LibDem MP - why not let your UKIP MEP know about this? Why allow a europhile disgraced MEP highlight this issue wouldn't it have been better if UKIP campaigned on this?

The words foot shoot the in - springs to mind!!!

Angryjohn · 17-08-2006, 12:40 PM

My reasons are

1. I'm not sure that it is an EU thing or not.

2. He is my MP and therefore my elected representative. I was not raising this to be a political tool for a high profile UKIP press release. I just want to raise the issue.

gimlet · 17-08-2006, 12:50 PM

Bit more info from one of my press letters:

Intercare is a charity based in Leicester, founded 30 years ago by a GP who realised that large quantities of drugs surplus to requirements could be put to good use lifesaving in Africa. The charity which helps to save thousands of lives in Africa now faces possible criminal prosecution. The reason, because of the bizarre interpretation of EU waste directive rules by officials of the Environment Agency, who want valuable medicines (waste) buried in landfill rather than put to use in Africa.

Angryjohn · 17-08-2006, 01:11 PM

So it is the Enviroment Agency that is at fault rather than the EU. Some idiot with too much authority and too little brain.

Independent UKIP · 17-08-2006, 03:23 PM

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/07/09/nosplit/nbook09.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/07/09/ixuknews.html

From the Booker notebook of 9th July.

Quote:

Environment Agency wants medicines for Africa dumped

A highly-responsible charity that helps to save thousands of lives in Africa faces possible criminal prosecution, thanks to the bizarre interpretation of EC waste rules by officials of the Environment Agency, who prefer to see valuable medicines buried in landfill rather than put to use in Africa. This is only the latest example of the growing confusion about what constitutes "waste" under EC law, made worse in Britain by the uniquely zealous way in which the agency enforces the rules.

Intercare is a small charity, based in Leicester, founded 30 years ago by a GP who realised that large quantities of drugs surplus to requirements could be put to lifesaving use in Africa. Thanks to a nationwide network of volunteers, it collects medicines from GPs, which are rigorously inspected by a team of retired NHS professionals - doctors, nurses and pharmacists - and then supplied to 94 clinics in seven African countries.

The drugs are only sent out, to order, when they are in date and in perfect condition. The operation, approved by the World Health Organisation, provides 2.5 million Africans in remote rural areas with access to treatment they could not otherwise afford.

Enter, however, the Environment Agency, which has decreed that, under EC rules, these "returned medicines" are "waste". Even though they continue to serve an invaluable purpose, they must be landfilled. Intercare has been summoned to an interview under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, prior to possible prosecution. As Intercare's chief executive, Dr Margaret Macdonald, explains, this faces the charity with an unprecedented crisis. It has already had to suspend its collection of medicines.

Last week, the agency stated that, although it could not comment on an "on-going investigation", the use of such returned drugs poses serious health dangers, and it has "a duty to ensure that this waste is being disposed of and handled correctly".

The agency clearly has no idea of just how expertly and professionally Intercare's operation is run. It even talks self-importantly of the need to comply with WHO guidance, clearly unaware that Intercare's work is specifically approved by the WHO.

Intercare is very conscious of how profoundly its service is appreciated in Africa (it has already provided treatment for a million patients), and is determined to carry on, even if it must now raise money to buy medicines that are so desperately needed. (For details, see www.intercare.org.uk and www.medicalaidforafrica.org.uk.) But the cost of this, as Dr Macdonald explains, will drastically reduce the range of drugs it can supply. Meanwhile, thanks to the Environment Agency (and Brussels), it seems that those vital medicines will just have to be buried in the nearest tip.

mkpdavies · 17-08-2006, 03:24 PM

I think we need to start being a bit more continental in our outlook and start ignoring the rules a bit more.

Tom Wilde · 17-08-2006, 06:04 PM

Maybe UKIP's MEPs could fix this. If they could get an unambiguous statement from the European Commission that this isn't how the rules are meant to be interpreted, than maybe the numbskulls in the UK's Environment Agency would have to relent and let Intercare resume its good work. UKIP could really make a difference here and help a good cause.

If on the other hand the European Commission refuses to provide this clarification, or if it states that the Environment Agency is interpreting EU rules correctly, then people will have even more reason to support ending Britain's EU membership.

BASILDON BOY · 18-08-2006, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Angryjohn

My reasons are

1. I'm not sure that it is an EU thing or not.

2. He is my MP and therefore my elected representative. I was not raising this to be a political tool for a high profile UKIP press release. I just want to raise the issue.

1. So what if its a EU thing or not.

2. This vile disgraced europhile MP does not deserve to have a good news story land in his lap - being a LibDem he will milk this story for all its worth. Your UKIP MEP is also your elected representative.

When are our members going to realise that we must give ammunition for our MEPs to use to highlight the ridiculousness of the EU and why we must govern ourselves!!! We have 10 MEPs that need casework to campaign on - if it was up to me I would ask our members to highlight local problems caused by the EU.

gawain · 18-08-2006, 01:26 PM

Quote:

We have 10 MEPs that need casework to campaign on - if it was up to me I would ask our members to highlight local problems caused by the EU.

Your efforts are the parties lifeblood, so yes send them in

17-08-2006, 11:33 AM	#1 (permalink)
Angryjohn Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: London Posts: 309	Drugs in Land Fill Shocker The Enviroment Agency is forcing the charity Intercare to shut. Intercare recieved donations of surpless NHS drugs and donated them to Africa and has been doing so for the last 30 years. Now they are forced to bury the perfectly good and in date drugs in a landfill for £200 a pop. Sky has the full story. http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...537746,00.html The Sky broadcast hinted last night that EU legeslation has forced this issue although I can't find anyting on EU involvment in the Sky text. Whether this is EU or not, I would still like someone to get angry about this. I have written to my MP (Mark Oaten) and await his response.

17-08-2006, 03:24 PM	#7 (permalink)
mkpdavies Uber Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Woking Posts: 31,053 Party: Libertarian Party	I think we need to start being a bit more continental in our outlook and start ignoring the rules a bit more. __________________ http://brits4ronpaul.blogspot.com/ http://wokinglibertarians.blogspot.com/ http://lpuk.org My ignore list Labour, Blue Labour, Lib Dems

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17-08-2006, 12:21 PM	#2 (permalink)
BASILDON BOY Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: N'Djamena, Chad Posts: 1,819	Instead of writing to disgraced LibDem MP - why not let your UKIP MEP know about this? Why allow a europhile disgraced MEP highlight this issue wouldn't it have been better if UKIP campaigned on this? The words foot shoot the in - springs to mind!!!

17-08-2006, 12:40 PM	#3 (permalink)
Angryjohn Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: London Posts: 309	My reasons are 1. I'm not sure that it is an EU thing or not. 2. He is my MP and therefore my elected representative. I was not raising this to be a political tool for a high profile UKIP press release. I just want to raise the issue.

17-08-2006, 12:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
gimlet Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Shropshire Posts: 833	Bit more info from one of my press letters: Intercare is a charity based in Leicester, founded 30 years ago by a GP who realised that large quantities of drugs surplus to requirements could be put to good use lifesaving in Africa. The charity which helps to save thousands of lives in Africa now faces possible criminal prosecution. The reason, because of the bizarre interpretation of EU waste directive rules by officials of the Environment Agency, who want valuable medicines (waste) buried in landfill rather than put to use in Africa.

17-08-2006, 01:11 PM	#5 (permalink)
Angryjohn Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: London Posts: 309	So it is the Enviroment Agency that is at fault rather than the EU. Some idiot with too much authority and too little brain.

17-08-2006, 06:04 PM	#8 (permalink)
Tom Wilde Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: London. Posts: 2,911	Maybe UKIP's MEPs could fix this. If they could get an unambiguous statement from the European Commission that this isn't how the rules are meant to be interpreted, than maybe the numbskulls in the UK's Environment Agency would have to relent and let Intercare resume its good work. UKIP could really make a difference here and help a good cause. If on the other hand the European Commission refuses to provide this clarification, or if it states that the Environment Agency is interpreting EU rules correctly, then people will have even more reason to support ending Britain's EU membership.