ask your pharmacist

How should I dispose of leftover or expired medication?

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy recommends the following guidelines for proper medication disposal as being safer and more environmentally friendly than flushing them down toilets or sinks:

• Follow the specific disposal instructions on the drug label or patient information that accompanies the medication. Do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet unless this information specifically instructs you to do so. For further information on drugs that should be flushed visit the FDA’s website.


• Take advantage of community pharmaceutical take-back programs that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal. Some communities have pharmaceutical take-back programs or community solid-waste programs that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal. Where these exist, they are a good way to dispose of unused pharmaceuticals.

• If no instructions are given on the drug label and no take-back program is available in your area, throw the drugs in the household trash, but first:

  • Take unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers.
  • Mix prescription drugs (do NOT crush tablets or capsules) with an undesirable substance, such as kitty litter or used coffee grounds
  • Put mixture into an impermeable, non-descript, sealable container, such as empty margin tubs or sealable bags, to prevent the medication from leaking.
  • Remove personal information, including Rx number, on the empty prescription containers by covering them with black permanent marker, duct tape, or by scratching it off.
  • Throw the sealed containers with the mixtureand the empty drug containers in the trash. Take caution to make sure children or pets do not accidentally ingest expired medications that are thrown in the trash.

You can read more about the Federal guidelines on the proper disposal of prescription medications at: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm101653.htm