Medication disposal: How — and why — to do it safely
Read this before tossing out or keeping old or unneeded drugs.
- Reviewed by Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
If you're doing any spring cleaning this year, remember to look in your medicine cabinets to weed out expired or unneeded medications. Hanging on to them is risky, since outdated medicines can lose their effectiveness or even harm you. And having used medication equipment (such as needles) around can hurt you and others. Fortunately, it's simple to dispose of these items safely.
Improper disposalYou definitely do not want to dispose of unneeded or expired medications by pouring them down the drain, flushing them down the toilet, or tossing them into the trash without special preparation. That's how chemicals wind up in soil, waterways, and groundwater. Used needles that are thrown out can poke holes in garbage bags, causing leaks and potentially hurting sanitation workers who pick up the garbage. Needles that are flushed down the toilet can get stuck in your home's plumbing or in equipment at the local water treatment plant. However, the FDA notes that some medications are so sought-after for misuse, and so potentially deadly, that if none of the methods of disposal in the accompanying article is possible for you, you should flush the drugs. Drugs on the FDA Flush List include those with opioids, such as any drug whose label contains the words "hydrocodone," "buprenorphine," "fentanyl," or "oxycodone," as well as certain non-opioids such as diazepam rectal gel, methylphenidate patches, and drugs with the words "sodium oxybate." However, some communities don't allow this practice. Contact your local health or sanitation department for more on medication disposal that meets all regulations. |
What needs to go
Candidates for disposal include any expired or unneeded prescription or over-the-counter medications (including vitamins, herbs, and other supplements) and used medication equipment. Beyond pills, hunt for liquids, ointments, lotions, patches, aerosol cans (such as inhalers), spray bottles, droppers, and needles.
"It could be an expired cold remedy, an antibiotic you didn't finish, pain pills left over from surgery, or a blood pressure medication that wasn't strong enough and was discontinued. Don't keep it. You might think you'll need it one day, but you shouldn't take it if it's expired. It might not work effectively," says Joanne Doyle Petrongolo, a pharmacist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.
Disposal options
Once you've gathered your expired or unneeded medications, use one of the following options to dispose of them.
Take-back sites. You might hear a lot about take-back initiatives during April and October, when local law enforcement agencies team up with the Drug Enforcement Agency for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day (coming up April 27, 2024). The option allows you to bring medications to particular drug take-back sites and drop them off (for free). But pharmacies, hospitals, health departments, and law enforcement agencies often provide medication disposal kiosks that are accessible year-round.
When going this route, keep at least a portion of the prescription labels on the drugs, so you can tell what they are, but remove or scratch out personal information. Note: Needles are never accepted, and liquid or aerosol medications might not be. Call ahead for details.
Medical waste collection sites. Your city or county may allow medication disposal at the local landfill or health department. This is helpful for safely getting rid of liquid drugs, inhalers, or needles. Keep needles in a sealed plastic container (many drugstores and local health departments offer these containers for free). "If you don't have one, put the needles in an empty laundry detergent bottle or another plastic container," Doyle Petrongolo suggests. "Call your sanitation or health department to find what will be accepted."
Disposal at home. As a last resort, it's okay to toss medications into the trash with careful preparation. Some drug-stores provide free disposal packets that come with a powder you mix with water in the medication container, so the drug becomes unusable and safe to throw away. Remove and shred prescription labels first.
Another option: The FDA recommends that you mix medicines with unappealing substances such as dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds; place the mixture in a sealable plastic bag or container (such as an empty laundry detergent bottle); and throw the bag or container in your trash. This practice may not be allowed for needles or aerosol cans, so be sure to ask your sanitation department for rules first.
If you have any remaining prescription bottles or boxes, remove and shred the labels and recycle the containers if possible.
Image: © Aleutie/Getty Images
About the Author
Heidi Godman, Executive Editor, Harvard Health Letter
About the Reviewer
Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Health Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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