Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know

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href="https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://www.fda.gov%2Fdrugs%2Fsafe-disposal-medicines%2Fdisposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know&title=Disposal%20of%20Unused%20Medicines%3A%20What%20You%20Should%20Know&source=FDA" class="lcds-share__btn lcds-share--default__btn-linkedin js-share" id="linkedin-share" target="_blank"><span class="fa icon-linkedin" aria-hidden="true"></span>Linkedin</a> </li> <li class="lcds-share__item"> <a href="mailto:?subject=Disposal%20of%20Unused%20Medicines%3A%20What%20You%20Should%20Know&body=https://www.fda.gov%2Fdrugs%2Fsafe-disposal-medicines%2Fdisposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know" class="lcds-share__btn lcds-share--default__btn-mail"><span class="fa icon-envelope" aria-hidden="true"></span>Email</a> </li> <li class=" lcds-share__item hidden-xs"> <a href="javascript:window.print();" title="Print this page" class="lcds-share__btn lcds-share--default__btn-print"><span class="fa icon-print" aria-hidden="true"></span>Print</a> </li> </ul> <div class="form-group"> </div> </div> </div> </section> </header> <div class="col-md-8 col-md-push-2" role="main"> <p><a class="btn btn-default" href="/drugs/safe-disposal-medicines/eliminacion-de-medicamentos-no-utilizados-todo-lo-que-debe-saber">en Espa帽ol</a></p> <p class="text-align-center"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dzc46-tLwSw?si=ZEaOrAutf3T5d1SS" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p> <h2 class="text-align-center">Video: How to Safely Dispose of Unused or Expired Medicine</h2> <p class="text-align-center">Drug disposal options to consider and instructions for getting rid of unused or expired medicines</p> <p></p><div class=" panel-group" id="accordion_698926" role="tablist" aria-multiselectable="true"> <p> </p><div title="Transcript" open="no" class=" panel panel-default fda-accordion-panel"> <div class="panel-heading" role="tab" id="heading_67b2443fa9ac8"> <h2 class="panel-title"> <a role="button" class="collapsed" data-toggle="collapse" data-parent href="#67b2443fa9ac8" aria-controls="67b2443fa9ac8">Transcript</a> </h2> </div> <div id="67b2443fa9ac8" class="panel-collapse collapse collapsed" role="tabpanel" aria-labelledby="heading_67b2443fa9ac8"> <div class="panel-body"> <p>MUSIC: IN</p> <p>Narrator: Unused medicines can spell many things. RISK, if they鈥檙e taken by someone they weren鈥檛 prescribed for. HARM, if accidentally taken by a child or pet. DANGER, or even death, if not used as directed. Unused or expired medicines may be hiding right in your home. In bathrooms, kitchens, bedrooms, purses, and anywhere you store medicines. So why put your family at risk? Safely dispose of unused or expired medicines before they can do harm. There are many ways to get rid of them. The best option is to find a drug take-back location or use a prepaid drug mail-back envelope. Drug take-back locations can be located at a local pharmacy or a police station. These take-back locations may offer on-site medicine drop-off boxes, mail-back programs, or in-home disposal products. DEA鈥檚 web page can help you find a take-back location near you. Just enter your zip code. To use a prepaid drug mail-back envelope, simply fill the envelope with your unused or expired medicine, seal it, and take it to any United States Postal Service office or U.S. Postal Service drop-box. If you don鈥檛 have a drug take-back location near you or if prepaid drug mail-back envelopes are not available to you, check the FDA鈥檚 Flush List to see if your medicine is on it. Medicines on the Flush List may be especially dangerous with just one dose if they鈥檙e taken by children, pets, or others in your home. Flushing certain types of medicines, such as opioids, helps keep everyone safe by making sure these powerful drugs are not accidentally or intentionally swallowed, touched, or misused. Remember, don鈥檛 flush any medicine unless it is on the Flush List. If you don鈥檛 have a drug take-back location nearby or a prepaid drug mail-back envelope and your medicine is not on the Flush List, you can dispose of it in the trash. For medicines you dispose of in the trash, FDA recommends that you mix them with an unappealing substance such as dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds. Don鈥檛 crush pills. Then place the mixture in a sealed plastic bag before throwing it away. Scratch out personal information from the prescription label on the empty packaging. For complete details and instructions on safe medicine disposal, visit www.FDA.Gov/DrugDisposal.</p> <p> </p></div> </div> </div> <p></p></div> <hr> <h2>How to Safely Dispose of Unused or Expired Medicine</h2> <p>The best way to dispose of <strong>most types</strong><a href="#disposalQA">*</a> of unused or expired medicines (both prescription and over-the-counter) is to immediately use a <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="f151115e-f27f-4bc1-b6b9-c4d231217a14" href="/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-drug-take-back-options" title="Drug Disposal: Drug Take-Back Options">take-back option</a>.</p> <ul> <li><a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="f151115e-f27f-4bc1-b6b9-c4d231217a14" href="/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-drug-take-back-options" title="Drug Disposal: Drug Take-Back Options">drop off the medicine at a drug take-back location</a>, or</li> <li>mail your expired or unused medicines using a pre-paid drug mail-back envelope.</li> </ul> <p>If these options are not readily available, follow these guidelines:</p> <ul> <li>If your medicine is on the FDA <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="2f3e575b-3e7d-444f-b23d-9fa533864c38" href="/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-fdas-flush-list-certain-medicines" title="Drug Disposal: FDA鈥檚 Flush List for Certain Medicines">flush list</a>, your next best option is to <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="2f3e575b-3e7d-444f-b23d-9fa533864c38" href="/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-fdas-flush-list-certain-medicines" title="Drug Disposal: FDA鈥檚 Flush List for Certain Medicines">immediately flush these potentially dangerous medicines down the toilet</a>.</li> <li>If your medicine is <strong>not</strong> on the <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="2f3e575b-3e7d-444f-b23d-9fa533864c38" href="/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-fdas-flush-list-certain-medicines" title="Drug Disposal: FDA鈥檚 Flush List for Certain Medicines">flush list</a>, you should follow these <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="a4680e06-b2d4-4115-bb87-c14f6958408b" href="/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-dispose-non-flush-list-medicine-trash" title="Drug Disposal: Dispose "Non-Flush List" Medicine in Trash">instructions to discard the medicine in your trash at home</a>.</li> </ul> <p><a id="disposalQA" name="disposalQA"></a>*Check out the <a data-entity-substitution="canonical" data-entity-type="node" data-entity-uuid="de14cdc3-8efb-4271-a0e8-0bc181d6fc62" href="/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-questions-and-answers" title="Drug Disposal: Questions and Answers">Medication Disposal Q&A</a> for more information including how to dispose of needles and syringes. Some products with uncommon dosage forms (e.g., sprays, lozenges) have product-specific disposal instructions. <a href="https://dps.fda.gov/medguide">Review the instructions that came with your prescription</a> or contact your health care professional (e.g., pharmacist, doctor) to find out how to properly dispose of these medicines.</p> <hr> <div alt="Drug disposal options? Do you have a drug take back option or mail-back envelope? Yes, take your medicine to a drug take back location or mail your medicine using a pre-paid mail back envelope. No - Is it on the flush list? Yes, immediately flush medicine in the toilet. No, follow the FDA instructions for disposing of medicine in the household trash. " data-embed-button="media_browser" data-entity-embed-display="media_image" data-entity-embed-display-settings="Array" data-entity-type="media" data-entity-uuid="90b3cbac-16f7-4d8e-a982-c472e4cdda49" data-langcode="en" title="Drug disposal options" class="align-center embedded-entity"> <img loading="lazy" src="/files/DrugDisposal_Infographic_web_241030.png" alt="Drug disposal options? Do you have a drug take back option or mail-back envelope? Yes, take your medicine to a drug take back location or mail your medicine using a pre-paid mail back envelope. No - Is it on the flush list? Yes, immediately flush medicine in the toilet. No, follow the FDA instructions for disposing of medicine in the household trash. 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