On farms of all sizes, veterinary medicines are utilized to ensure the health and well-being of horses, goats, cows, chickens, and other livestock.
Correct storage and handling of medicines can ensure effectiveness and reduce treatment errors. Understanding the rules and regulations for animal medicines can create a safer farm for your employees, untreated livestock, family, and pets.
Both human and animal medicine that is flushed down sinks or toilets, or thrown in landfills, can also cause environmental problems, since they may end up in our rivers, lakes, coastal waters, and even in our drinking water. Fish and other aquatic animals that live in water contaminated with pharmaceuticals have shown impaired reproduction and development.
What Can You Do?
Although no return programs aimed specifically at veterinary pharmaceuticals currently exist, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) may accept these products. National Take Back Day is sponsored every spring and fall by the DEA and offers citizens an opportunity to safely turn in expired and unwanted medications with no inventory of products and no identification of participants. Many municipal law enforcement offices also maintain permanent, free take back programs. Visit the map to find a location near you.
Local veterinary clinics may accept unwanted and expired veterinary medicine for safe disposal, though they are not required to do so. Check with your local clinic for options. Likewise, drug companies may be willing to accept unused, expired medications. In general, controlled substances should never be returned to a veterinary clinic.
Municipal or local trash services may offer programs where pharmaceutical products can be dropped off for disposal. Contact your local waste management service to inquire about options in your area. Expired medication is considered hazardous waste, so your local hazardous waste disposal facility may also have recommendations for proper disposal.
A take-back program should always be your first choice for disposal of unwanted or expired veterinary medications. There are other, less preferred ways to dispose of medications if a drop-off or take-back program is not available to you. Visit Other Ways to Dispose to learn more. Never flush unwanted or expired medicine unless the medication gives specific instructions to flush it as a means of disposal. Unwanted or expired medicine should never be incinerated in burn barrels, composted, or buried.
Reduce waste to prevent pollution!
- Keep livestock medications organized in a central location on the farm to avoid purchasing more than can be used by the expiration date.
- Regularly inventory your medicines. If you currently have expired or unwanted medications on your farm, arrange for their safe disposal.
- Consider all your options before you put expired or unwanted medicine in the trash.
FIND A DROP-OFF LOCATION
Use our interactive map to find a location near you to take your unwanted or expired medicine.