Recommendations for drug disposal

There has been a lot of publicity over the last decade about ground water contamination and drinking water contamination with prescription drugs. The short-term and long-term effects of this contamination on the environment and humans in unknown. One step that can help to minimize the potential for ground water contamination is proper drug disposal.

1. Do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet or dump down a sink drain unless the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs you to do so.

2. To dispose of prescription drugs not labeled to be flushed, you may be able to take advantage of community drug take-back programs or other programs, such as household hazardous waste collection events, that collect drugs at a central location for proper disposal. Call your city or county government’s household trash and recycling service and ask if a drug

take-back program is available in your community.

3. If a drug take-back or collection program is not available:

• Take your prescription drugs out of their original containers.
• Mix drugs with an undesirable substance, such as cat litter or used coffee grounds.
• Put this mixture into a disposable container with a lid, such as an empty margarine tub, or into a sealable bag.
• Conceal or remove any personal information, including Rx number, on the empty containers by covering it with black permanent marker or by scratching it off.
• Place the sealed container with the mixture, and the empty drug containers, in the trash.

Federal Guidelines

FDA recommendations