Safe Disposal of Unneeded Medications

• Properly disposing of unneeded medications can help to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands.
• The disposal of unused prescription medications is getting considerable attention due to concerns over the detection of pharmaceutical ingredients in the environment. Many communities and environmental groups are calling for unused medications to be collected through drug take-back programs.
• It is important to protect the environment and prevent unintentional misuse and illegal abuse by properly disposing of unused medications. Controlled substances such as opioid pain medications should be disposed of with particular care.
• The U.S. Food & Drug Administration has determined that flushing is the most appropriate route of disposal for certain powerful opioid pain relievers and other controlled substances in order to reduce the danger of unintentional use or overdose and illegal abuse.
• Medicines play an important role in treating certain conditions and diseases, but they must be taken with care. Unused portions of these medicines must be disposed of properly to avoid harm.

The resources listed below provide important information about safe disposal of medicines and can be found on the U.S Food & Drug Administration website.

• Medication Disposal: Questions and Answers
• Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know
• How to Dispose of Unused Medicines

*Safeguard My Meds^™ at www.safeguardmymeds.org.