When cleaning up around the house, one area you might neglect is the medicine cabinet. If you have expired medications or prescriptions you no longer need, you might be tempted to toss them in the trash or flush them down the toilet, but that shouldn’t be the first course of action.
Whenever possible, dispose of medications at an authorized drug take-back location. University Health has designated medication take-back bins at our pharmacies to help you dispose of old and unused medicines responsibly.
Medication and Drug Disposal Near You
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) encourages everyone to use year-round collection sites to discard unwanted medications.
University Health pharmacies are registered with the DEA as authorized collectors to help the community dispose of unused prescription medication year-round.
Visit one of these University Health pharmacies to safely dispose of your unused medication:
- Robert B. Green Pharmacy
- Medical Center Pavilion Pharmacy
- Southeast Pharmacy
- Southwest Pharmacy
- Texas Diabetes Institute Pharmacy
How to Dispose of Old or Unused Medications
Keep these guidelines in mind when disposing of medications:
- Look for the bright green bins with the “Safe Drug Disposal” sign on them.
- Do not place any unauthorized or illegal substances into the bin.
- Before discarding the medications, scratch out all identifying information to make it unreadable. This will help protect your identity and the privacy of your personal health information.
- Package your items securely to prevent leakage from any liquid items.
- If you’re unsure, ask a pharmacist or your provider how to dispose of medication.
Importance of Proper Medication Disposal
Properly disposing of your medications can help protect your community and the environment. Whenever possible, dispose of medications at an authorized drug take-back location, like a University Health pharmacy.
Flush it down the toilet
If there are no authorized drug take-back locations near you, check to see if your medications are on the Food and Drug Administration’s list of flushable medications.
The FDA recommends disposing of flushable medications at a medication take-back bin whenever possible. Flushing is the second best option.
Medications on the flush list tend to be the kind that may be abused or misused, or can cause serious injury or death if ingested by a child or pet, like fentanyl.
The FDA conducted research on the environmental impact of flushing 15 active ingredients and found negligible risk to the environment. However, they call for ongoing research into this topic to determine the long-term environmental impact.
Throw it in the trash
If there are no authorized drug take-back locations near you, and your medication isn’t on the flushable medication list, you may throw your medications in the trash. The FDA recommends:
1. Emptying the pill bottle and mix the pills/medications with unappealing materials like cat litter or used coffee grounds to discourage misuse.
2. Placing the mixture into a sealed plastic bag.
3. Throwing the plastic bag into the trash can.
4. Scratching out all personal information on the pill bottle before throwing it away.
University Health Pharmacies
Visit a University Health pharmacy near you to safely dispose of unused medications. If you’re unsure of what to do with old medications, ask a pharmacist.
