FAQ’s:
Q:
Is
sharing
my
For More Information, Talk
With Your Local Pharmacist
unwanted
or Visit:
prescription medication okay?
www.fda.gov/drugs
A: No, medications that are beneficial
for you may be harmful or even
deadly for another person. In some
cases, sharing prescription drugs
constitutes a felony! Do not share
drugs.
www.disposemymeds.org
www.smarxtdisposal.net
www.ismp.org
www.uaex.edu
Q: Are there risks involved with
WHAT
flushing my medicine down the
KNOW ABOUT PROPER
toilet?
A: Yes. Recent studies are showing that
some medications are not being filtered at
local water treatment centers, and
prescriptions are finding their way into our
public water systems and rivers.
For
example, frogs are showing a higher
incidence of having both male and female
parts due to estrogen in the water.
Q: What is the best way to
dispose of my old medications?
A: Local Drug Take-Back Events are the
best way to dispose of unwanted
medications. Read on to learn more!
YOU
NEED
TO
MEDICATION DISPOSAL
Jourdan Amerson
What should I do with my old
medicine? Could I offer to share my
prescription with another person who
needs it? Can I flush my medication
down the toilet? Be informed about
what options are available to you
regarding prescription medication
disposal and know the answers to
these common questions.
Drug Take-Back Programs
When It’s Okay To Flush
Many local hospitals, pharmacies and
doctors’ offices offer programs to
accept unused, expired or unwanted
prescription drugs.
Several cities
organize National Prescription Drug
Take-Back Events initiated by the
U.S.
Drug
Enforcement
Administration at which people can
Certain medications are recommended
for disposal by flushing them down
the toilet according to the FDA.
Many drugs, however, are dangerous
to local animals and people, and they
should be prevented from entering the
water supply. It is okay to flush a
medication
Disposal In The Trash
If there is no take-back program in
your area, proper disposal of
medications into your household trash
requires four steps:
dispose of their old medications
without worry.
City trash and
recycling companies also offer
information regarding these events.
Submitting your medications at one of
these take-back events eliminates the
stress of having to determine the
safest disposal method for each
medicine, and ensures that each will
be disposed of properly.
1) Scratch out or remove all
identifying information from
the medication bottle if needed.
2) Mix the medicine with an
inedible substance such as kitty
litter.
3) Place the mixture into a
sealed container such as a
Ziplock bag.
4) Throw the container into the
trash.
if
the
prescription
states so in
its disposal
instructions.
If you are
unsure,
to
find
out
which drugs
should
be
flushed, you may visit Daily Med
online for a complete list of
medications. When in doubt, play it
safe and don’t flush!
Sources: www.fda.gov/drugs
www.dailymed.nlm.nih.gov