On farms of all sizes, veterinary medicine is commonly used to ensure the health and well-being of horses, goats, cows, chickens, and other livestock.
Correct storage and handling of medicine can ensure effectiveness and reduce treatment errors. Understanding the rules and regulations for animal medicine 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 take-back programs specifically for veterinary medicine currently exist, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) may still accept them. National Take Back Day is sponsored every spring and fall by the DEA and offers the public an opportunity to safely and anonymously turn in expired and unwanted medications. Many municipal law enforcement offices also maintain permanent, free take back programs. Visit the map to find a location near you.
Your veterinarian may accept unwanted and expired animal medicine for safe disposal at their discretion. Check with your clinic for options. Similarly, pharmaceutical companies may accept unused, expired medications. In general, controlled substances should never be returned to a veterinary clinic.
Your municipal waste management services may offer programs where unwanted medicine can be dropped off for safe disposal. Contact your local service to find options in your area. Expired medication is considered hazardous waste, so your local hazardous waste disposal facility may also have recommendations for safe 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!
- Organize livestock medicine in a central location on the farm to avoid over purchasing or buying more than can be used before it expires.
- Regularly inventory your medicines. If you currently have expired or unwanted medicine 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.