How do you discard

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
of old medications? difficult child has so many old medications that we have sitting around the house. We have many old bottle and some that were never even opened*-we have lots of Straterra free samples never used because he had to be taken off of it) as well as many other old mood stabilizers. I know you aren't supposed to just throw them in the garbage.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
There are two ways that I have been told are the correct ways. One is to take unopened samples back to your doctor you got them from and they can dispose of them for you. The other is to take the used, open medications to your pharmacy and they have a disposal system to discard medications. They crush and put something on the pills so they cant be taken by anyone.

Also...before you throw a pill bottle in the trash, remove your label and shred it so your name and the contents isnt readable. Do not allow anyone to know what you keep in that medicine cabinet!

Its not good to flush medications because they get into the water supply.
 

klmno

Active Member
oops- i've been throwing them in the garbage, right before garbage is taken to curb to be picked up.
 

smallworld

Moderator
Janet is right -- medications flushed down the toilet affect the water supply. I read that Prozac was even found in fish swimming in the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland!

I take our unused medications to our pharmacy, and the pharmacist disposes of them for me.
 

timer lady

Queen of Hearts
Ladies, I went to the pharmacy with old medications; they just said they would be flushing them down the toilet - might just do it myself.

I had read in the paper not to discard medications down the toilet - to take them to our pharmacy. The pharmacies in our town weren't informed & have no way to destroy them other than we do.
 

Fran

Former desparate mom
The hospice nurse flushed them down the toilet. It's where we have flushed them too.
 

tracy551

New Member
I work in a doctors office and sometimes we have patients bring in old medications. We put them into a bio-hazard container that is picked up every month by a company that deposes of them along with other things.
 
F

flutterbee

Guest
I bet we have some very mellow fish. :hammer:

I've never really thought about it. I always just threw them away. I'll be taking them to the pharmacy from now on. Good thread.
 
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