Disposing of unused or outdated prescriptions

Today is a good day to look in your medicine cabinet and dispose of any medication that may be out of date or that  you are not using anymore.  One of the reasons that people don’t throw away prescriptions is because they don’t know what to do with them. I’ve included some guidelines from the Federal Government.

Your local authorities are also working to help rid of prescription drugs in the home. Check your local newspaper, watch for it on television or listen on the radio for a date that you can bring your unused and/or out dated prescriptions to a place near you to have them disposed of in the correct way.

Federal Guidelines

Do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet or drain unless the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs you to do so. For information on drugs that should be flushed visit the FDA’s website.

To dispose of prescription drugs not labeled to be flushed, you may be able to take advantage of community drug take-back programs or other programs, such as household hazardous waste collection events, that collect drugs at a central location for proper disposal. Call your city or county government’s household trash and recycling service and ask if a drug take-back program is available in your community.

If a drug take-back or collection program is not available:

1. Take your prescription drugs out of their original containers.

2. Mix drugs with an undesirable substance, such as cat litter or used coffee grounds.

3. Put the mixture into a disposable container with a lid, such as an empty margarine tub, or into a sealable bag.

4. Conceal or remove any personal information, including Rx number, on the empty containers by covering it with black permanent marker or duct tape, or by scratching it off.

5. Place the sealed container with the mixture, and the empty drug containers, in the trash.

Office of National Drug Control Policy October 2009
Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs
Office of National Drug Control Policy
750 17th St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20503
p (202) 395- 6618 f (202) 395-6730

Cited: http://www.WhiteHouseDrugPolicy.gov