What do pharmacies do with expired pills

Keep unused or expired medications secure until you can properly dispose of them. The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids recommends keeping prescriptions in a secure lock box in the home. Many drugs can be thrown away safely by mixing the medicine with inedible materials, like ash, dirt, used coffee grounds, or cat litter, and then placing the mixture in a plastic bag.

The bag should be sealed with duct tape to prevent leaks. Drugs with higher abuse risks, like oxycodone, hydrocodone, or fentanyl, are often given to people with cancer for pain control.

Just one dose can be fatal to others, especially kids and pets. The Food and Drug Administration recommends flushing all forms of these drugs down the sink or toilet. If flushing is not allowed in your community, even these drugs can be safely thrown in the trash with just an extra step or two.

Liquid medications can be combined with inedible materials first and then sealed in a bag and thrown away. Tablets can be dissolved with saltwater, mixed with an inedible, and then sealed in a bag and thrown away. Patches must be folded in half over themselves to prevent accidental contact with skin.

View a full-sized version of this infographic at the U. Food and Drug Administration website. Share your thoughts on this blog post on Cancer. Net's Facebook and Twitter. The Cancer. Register Log In. However, here are some general donation guidelines:. In many states, only a health facility or pharmacy is allowed to donate drugs. There are some states that allow patients to donate. Usually the packaging must be unopened and sealed, or the drugs must be packaged in individual doses usually in sealed blister packs.

If you have additional questions about disposing of unused or expired medications, talk with your pharmacist or doctor to see what options are available. View a full-sized version of this infographic at the U. Food and Drug Administration website. Share your thoughts on this blog post on Cancer. Net's Facebook and Twitter. The Cancer. Net Podcasts Tags About Us.

Request Permissions. April 24, This post is updated ahead of each take-back day. It was last updated October 14, Option 1: Let the experts handle it. Option 2: Dispose of them yourself. Check with your local law enforcement officials to find a location near you or with the DEA to find a DEA-authorized collector in your community.

You can also check with your pharmacist. Some pharmacies offer on-site medicine drop-off boxes, mail-back programs, and other ways to help you safely dispose your unused medicines. When a take back option is not easily available, there are two ways to dispose of medicines at home, depending on the drug. Flushing medicines: Because some medicines could be especially harmful to others, they have specific directions to immediately flush them down the sink or toilet when they are no longer needed, and a take-back option is not readily available.

How will you know? Check the label or the patient information leaflet with your medicine. Or consult the U. Disposing medicines in household trash: If a take back program is not available, almost all medicines, except those on the FDA flush list see below , can be thrown into your household trash.