How to Safely Dispose of Expired Medications
Keeping expired and leftover medications in your home can be a risk for children, adolescents, pets, and other adults. Not only can accidental ingestion happen, but drugs may be stolen and abused without your knowledge. Safe disposal ensures that your medicines will not be used improperly.
Drug take-back programs and medication disposal services are the safest ways to get rid of expired medication. If these options are not readily available, you can dispose of some drugs at home. Understanding the environmental and human risks of each option will help you select a disposal method.
Medication Disposal at Home
You can dispose of some medications from home. Be sure to check the label or patient information leaflet for safe disposal instructions.
Flushing Medications
You can flush medications on the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) flush list down the sink or toilet. Medicines on the flush list are commonly abused substances that can result in death if taken improperly. Flushing ensures that no one accidentally or intentionally touches, ingests, or misuses powerful medications.
However, if your medications are not on the list, do not flush them. Water treatment facilities are not effective in filtering out drugs, causing medicines to leach into the ground or enter waterways. Some medications, such as steroids, can lead to serious problems for wildlife and can contaminate drinking water.
Trash Disposal
You can throw medicines in many forms into the household trash. You should remove pills, liquids, drops, patches, and creams from their original containers and mix them with dirt, cat litter, or coffee grounds. Mixing the drugs makes them less appealing and recognizable. Also, place the mixture in a leak-proof container and throw it in the garbage.
Due to environmental concerns, don’t throw inhalers away. GlaxoSmithKline found that 29% of inhalers that are disposed of still have medication left in them. Disposing of these in the trash can cause these substances to enter landfills or water systems and harm wildlife. You can safely dispose of any expired inhalers at your local pharmacy, take-back events, mail-back programs, or other recycling program.
Drug Take Back Programs
Local governments typically sponsor Drug Take Back Programs to collect prescription and over-the-counter medications for proper disposal. You can check with local law enforcement or use the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) website to find drop-off locations near you.
The DEA also sponsors National Prescription Drug Take Back Day to educate the public about the potential abuse of medications and provide safe disposal.
Medication Disposal Services
Medication disposal services through medical waste service providers safely get rid of expired drugs. They offer secure and environmentally friendly disposal methods to protect against drug abuse and pollution.
Both residential and healthcare facilities can benefit from professional disposal services. Professional services maintain compliance with pharmaceutical waste regulations, the EPA, DEA, and local regulatory agencies. In addition, waste services mitigate drug diversion and environmental risks.
Safely Dispose of Your Expired Medications Today
Medical Waste Pros offers medication disposal services to safely dispose of your expired and unused medications. We make sure to follow all safety guidelines and restrictions to protect the community. Learn more by calling (888) 755-6370 or filling out the form. We will instantly connect you with medication disposal service providers near you and send you free quotes within minutes.
