Drug Disposal

How should you dispose of old and expired drugs that you no longer need?

Here are some tips taken from the FDA website:

Follow any 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.

Take advantage of community drug take-back programs that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal. Call your city or county government's household trash and recycling service (see blue pages in phone book) to see if a take-back program is available in your community.

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 them out of their original containers and mix them with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter. The medication will be less appealing to children and pets, and unrecognizable to people who may intentionally go through your trash.
• Put them in a sealable bag, empty can, or other container to prevent the medication from leaking or breaking out of a garbage bag.

Source: www.fda.gov
Photo: Harveyben, Flickr
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