Prevent Unwanted Medicine
The easiest way to reduce the amount of unwanted medicine in your home is to carefully purchase the medications you use. Only buy what you need and refuse unnecessary medications. Take all medication as prescribed by your doctor, wait to refill prescriptions until you are sure you need them, and avoid pharmacy auto-refill programs. Say no to physician samples if you aren’t certain you can use them.
The way you store medications can have a real impact on the amount of unwanted medicine you generate. Centralize all medicine in one location to prevent over-purchasing products that you already have. Store medicine as recommended on the label to prevent spoilage. Avoid placing multiple, unlabeled medications in one container if you can’t easily tell which is which.
OTHER WAYS TO DISPOSE
The best way to dispose of unwanted medicines is through a drug take-back collection program. If a take-back collection is not available near you, there are other options.
Mail-back Options
Most pharmacies sell mail-back envelopes, and some even provide them free of charge if you’ve been prescribed an opioid. Check with your local pharmacy for availability.
Safe Trash Disposal
Do not flush your medication down the toilet. Instead, dispose of your medication in the trash using the following steps. This method will protect your family, pets, and wildlife from accidental poisoning and prevent drug diversion, but still sends medication to landfills where active pharmaceutical compounds may leak and enter wastewater, surface water, or groundwater.
- Keep medication in its original container, and remove or blacken out all personal information while leaving the name and dose of the medication visible. If the medication is in a blister pack, remove the medication and place it in a sealable bag.
- Add a safe but unpalatable substance such as kitty litter, dish/laundry soap, used coffee grounds, or dirt to the medication container and then replace the lid.
- Seal the medicine bottle in a leak-proof container such as a coffee can.
- Dispose of the mixture in the trash as close to pick-up day as possible.
Medication Disposal Products
One of the newer ways to dispose of medication at home is to purchase and utilize a drug destruction product – a substance that, when added to unwanted medicine, chemically destroys drugs. These products should only be used as a last resort – take-back events and programs and safe trash disposal are preferred. The Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service has prepared a factsheet that contains an excellent overview of some of these products. Note that OSU Extension and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant do not endorse the use of any particular products.
FIND A DROP-OFF LOCATION
Use our interactive map to find a location near you to take your unwanted or expired medicine.