If you've decided to clear out that museum of unused medication in your medicine cabinet, how do you get rid of all the stuff responsibly? You don't want to contaminate the water supply, nor do you want medication to fall into the wrong hands. Here are some guidelines.


Steps

1. Check the instructions. Sometimes they'll provide guidance as to what's the best way to dispose of that particular medication. If you don't have the instructions, see if you can find them online, or call the company that manufactures the drug to ask.
2. Don't flush! Sending the medication into the water supply is not a good idea, especially if you have a septic system - drugs can leach into the water table, turn up in nearby lakes or streams, and even on your own property. The only medications that should be flushed down the toilet are:
   
   
   • atazanavir sulfate (Reyataz Capsules)
   • entecavir (Baraclude Tablets)
   • fentanyl (Duragesic Transdermal System)
   • fentanyl buccal tablet (Fentora)
   • fentanyl citrate (Actiq)
   • gatifloxacin (Tequin Tablets)
   • morphine sulfate (Avinza Capsules)
   • methylphenidate (Daytrana Transdermal Patch)
   • Meperidine HCl Tablets
   • oxycodone (OxyContin Tablets)
   • oxycodone and acetaminophen (Percocet)
   • sodium oxybate (Xyrem)
   • stavudine (Zerit for Oral Solution)
3. Find out about disposal options in your area.
   
   
   • Call a local pharmacy and find out if they have an unused medication disposal program.
   • Call your local trash service - they might have household waste facilities that will incinerate the medication.
4. If your only option is to throw the medication in the trash, then do everything you can to make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Not only is this a concern if people might pick through your trash (whether in your neighborhood, or at a landfill, or anywhere in between) but it is also dangerous for children, pets, and wild animals.
   
   
   • Take pills out of containers so people don't know what they are.
   • Mix the pills with undesirable substances, like kitty litter.
   • If the medication is liquid, mix it with sawdust or flour.

Tips

• Sometimes there will be a conflict between the instructions and the guidelines given in the article. Some medications are accompanied by paperwork that says not to flush, for example, but the FDA recommends flushing that medication. There is no clear consensus on how to dispose of the medication in question.