Dispose Safely. Prevent Abuse.
Dispose of unused or expired medications the safe way, by bringing them to an approved collection site.
Drugs that are thrown in the trash can be retrieved by others and sold, while flushing medications can potentially contaminate the water supply. By safely disposing, you will help prevent poisoning, misuse, and overdose your community.
Safe disposal is more convenient than you think. There are thousands of permanent drug disposal boxes throughout the country. To find a location near you, visit nabp.pharmacy/drug-disposal.
AWARxE Prescription Drug Safety ― A program of The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
Disposing of medication at home
If a drug disposal site or mail-back program is not available in your area, it is best to follow Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines for the safe disposal of unused or unwanted medications at home; including when to flush medication and patches.
https://www.fda.gov/drugs/safe-disposal-medicines/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know
Disposing properly, at a glance.
1. Check the label on your medication and follow any instructions for safe disposal provided.
2. A small number of medications need to be flushed down the toilet if a disposal box is not immediately available. These drugs include fentanyl, hydrocodone, and methadone, among others. The list of drugs that should be flushed when take-back options are unavailable is available on the FDA website.
3. If there are no take-back programs available in your area and there are no specific instructions, such as flushing, take your medication out of the container and mix them with an undesirable substance such as dirt, used coffee grounds, or cat litter. Next, seal the mixture in a sealable bag, can, or container and place the container in the garbage.
If disposing of sharps, place the sharps immediately in a sharps disposal container, which are often available through pharmacies, medical supply companies, etc. If a disposal site is not available, you may use heavy-duty household container, such as a laundry detergent container to dispose of the sharps.