How should I dispose of old or unused medication?
Medications play an important role in treating certain conditions and diseases, but they must
be taken with care. Unused portions of these medications must be disposed of properly to avoid
harm. However, certain medicine may be especially harmful and, in some cases, fatal in a single
dose if they are used by someone other than the person the medicine was prescribed for. For
this reason, a few medications have special disposal directions that indicate they should be
flushed down the sink or toilet after the medicine is no longer needed. If you dispose these
down the sink or toilet, they cannot be accidentally used by children, pets, or anybody
else.
It is important to note that disposal by flushing is not recommended for the vast majority of
medicines. For information on drugs that should be flushed visit the FDA
website. The FDA continually evaluates medicines for safety risks and will update the list
as needed.
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:
- Take your prescription drugs out of their original containers.
- Mix drugs with an undesirable substance, such as cat litter or used coffee grounds.
- Put the mixture into a disposable container with a lid, such as an empty margarine tub, or
into a sealable bag.
- 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.
- Place the sealed container with the mixture, and the empty drug containers, in the
trash.
For liquid medications, you may want to mix with an absorbent material such as flour or cat litter to help discourage misuse or unintentional use of the medication if it's found and opened.
If you're looking for more specific answers to specific questions, ask a Walgreens pharmacist here.
DISCLAIMER:
Answers to questions regarding information about medications or health conditions are not for
diagnostic or treatment purposes and are not conclusive as to the presence or absence of any
health condition. Consult your physician for diagnosis and treatment of your medical condition.
The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. Advances in medicine may cause
this information to become outdated, invalid or subject to debate. Professional opinions and
interpretations of the scientific literature may vary. Walgreens' terms of use and general
warranty disclaimer apply to all services provided. If you are in need of immediate medical
attention, contact your physician, poison control center or emergency medical professional. If
you need to speak with a pharmacist for non-emergency matters, contact your local Walgreens
pharmacist or call a Walgreens.com pharmacist toll-free at 1 (877) 250-5823.
