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Is your medicine cabinet full of expired or no longer used medicines? Your medicines are yours. What is safe for you may be harmful to others. The best way to get rid of expired, unwanted, or unused medications is through a drug take-back program. You can also do it at home.
drug take-back program
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sponsors National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in areas across the country. Many communities also have their own drug take-back programs. Contact your local law enforcement official to find a location near you. To find her DEA certified collector in your area he should contact the DEA.
You can also check with your pharmacist. Some pharmacies offer on-site drug drop boxes, mail return programs, and other methods for safely disposing of unused medications.
How to dispose of medicines at home
If drop-off options are not readily available, there are two ways to dispose of medications at home, depending on the medication.
Medicines to wash away: Because some medications can be particularly harmful to others, there are specific instructions to flush them down the sink or toilet as soon as they are no longer needed, and take-back options are not readily available.
How do I know? Check the medicine label or patient information leaflet. Alternatively, if take-back options are not readily available, refer to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s list of medications recommended for disposal by flushing. Do not flush medications unless listed on the flush list.
When disposing of medicines in the household trash: If a take-back program is not available, you can throw almost all medicines, except those on the FDA’s Flash List (see below), in your household trash can. These include prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as tablets, liquids, drops, patches, and creams.
Perform the following steps:
- Remove the medication from its original container and mix it with undesirable materials such as used coffee grounds, dirt, and cat litter. This makes the drug less appealing to children and pets, and less recognizable to people who might purposefully rummage through trash cans looking for the drug.
- To prevent the medication from leaking or spilling, place the mixture in an airtight container (such as a resealable zip-top bag, can, or other container).
- Throw the container in the trash.
- To protect your identity and privacy, we will scratch erase all personal information on empty medicine packages. Please throw away the packaging materials.
If you have questions about your medicine, ask your health care provider or pharmacist.
Fentanyl patch disposal
Fentanyl patches are an example of a product containing a powerful opioid drug that can be dangerous to people who have not been prescribed it. This patch delivers powerful pain relief through the skin.
Even if you apply the patch, there will be a lot of medicine left behind. That’s why this medication comes with instructions to wash off any used or leftover patches.
Disposal of inhaler products
One environmental issue involves inhalers used by people with respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Read the instructions on the labels of inhaler and aerosol products.
These products can be dangerous if punctured or thrown into a fire or incinerator. Please contact your garbage disposal and recycling facility for proper disposal of these products and to comply with local regulations and laws.
Drug cleaning and water supply
Some people wonder if it’s okay to flush out certain medications if take-back options aren’t easily available. There are concerns that trace amounts of drugs may be found in surface waters such as rivers and lakes, as well as in drinking water.
“The main way drug residues enter water systems is when people take drugs and they naturally pass through their bodies,” says Dr. Raanan Bloom, an FDA environmental assessment specialist. “Many drugs are not fully absorbed or metabolized by the body and can enter the environment after passing through wastewater treatment facilities.”
The FDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency take seriously concerns about releasing certain pharmaceuticals into the environment. Still, there has been no indication of environmental impacts caused by flushing the recommended drugs. In fact, the FDA published a paper evaluating this concern and found that the risk of environmental impacts posed by flushing out recommended medications is negligible.
For more information on what to do if you no longer need your medicine, see this FDA page.
