Medication Disposal - Training Module - How to Dispose of Medications
- Details
- Published: Monday, 06 June 2016 10:10
- Written by 340B Editor
Article Index
How to Dispose of Medications
There are a number of ways that your patients can safely dispose of their unwanted medications. If their medication comes with any disposal guidelines, they should follow those; for example some medications do recommend flushing down the toilet as the preferred means of disposal. If this information is not available to the patient they can look for drug take-back programs in their area. Information about these programs can be found by calling their local city or county government’s household trash and recycling services (found in the blue pages of the phone book) or looking at the Drug Enforcement Administration website for National Prescription Drug Take Back Days (www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov). If neither of these options is available to the patient, they can always take the medications out of their original containers, crush them, and mix with coffee grounds, kitty litter, or another undesirable substance and seal it in a plastic bag which can be thrown in the garbage. When disposing of the containers, tell your patients to scratch out any identifying information on the label before doing so.2 Finally, remind your patients that their local pharmacist would be happy to answer any other questions they may have about cleaning out their drug cabinet.
|
Medication Type |
Take Back Location |
Mix with water and dirt/kitty liter |
Walgreens Safe Medication Disposal Program ($2.99) |
Flush |
|
OTC |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Schedule III-IV |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
Schedule II |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
|
|
Patches |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Inhalers |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
|
Syringes |
No |
No |
No |
No |