How to Dispose of Unused Medications Safely

Medications that are unused, expired, or no longer needed present two distinct risks: they can be accidentally ingested by children or pets, or intentionally misused by people with substance use disorders. They also pose environmental hazards when disposed of improperly. Knowing how to safely dispose of medications protects your household, your community, and your environment.

The Scope Of The Problem

According to the DEA, tens of thousands of pounds of prescription medications go unused each year in the United States. These medications sit in medicine cabinets, bathroom drawers, and nightstands — accessible to curious children, visiting grandchildren, teenagers, and anyone who enters the home. Studies consistently show that a large proportion of people who misuse prescription opioids get them from a family member's or friend's medicine cabinet, not from dealers or prescribers. Unused medications in the home are a direct pipeline to the opioid crisis.

At the same time, medications flushed down the toilet or discarded in trash can contaminate groundwater and water supplies. Pharmaceutical compounds — including hormones, antibiotics, and psychiatric medications — have been detected in waterways around the world, with potential effects on aquatic ecosystems and, at low levels, on human water supplies.