Tips for safe disposal of pharmaceuticals at home
The following guidelines are recommended by the Drug and Food Administration (FDA) for disposal of medications.
- Take unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers and throw them in the trash.
- Mixing prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter, and putting them in impermeable, nondescript containers, such as empty cans or sealable bags, will further ensure the drugs are not diverted.
- Flush prescription drugs down the toilet only if the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs doing so.
- 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.
The FDA advises that the following drugs be flushed down the toilet instead of thrown in the trash:
- Actiq (fentanyl citrate);
- Daytrana transdermal patch (methylphenidate);
- Duragesic transdermal system (fentanyl);
- OxyContin tablets (oxycodone);
- Avinza capsules (morphine sulfate);
- Baraclude tablets (entecavir);
- Reyataz capsules (atazanavir sulfate);
- Tequin tablets (gatifloxacin);
- Zerit for oral solution (stavudine);
- Meperidine HCl tablets;
- Percocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen);
- Xyrem (sodium oxybate);
- Fentora (fentanyl buccal tablet).
Article Limit Reached
You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
- Award-winning Medical Content
- Latest Advances & Development in Medicine
- Unbiased Content