Montana News: Recommendations for Medication Disposal

July 1, 2007 4:54 pm Topics: Medication collection program disposal

Reprinted from the July 2007 Montana Board of Pharmacy Newsletter.

It is no longer acceptable to instruct patients to flush unused or unwanted medications due to concerns about contamination of the water supply. Many professional societies and patient advocacy organizations have published guidelines on how to safely dispose of medications. The following are guidelines from the American Pharmacists Association (APhA)

1. Do not flush unused medications. Recent environmental impact studies report that this practice could be having an adverse impact on the environment.
2. When discarding unused medications, crush solid dosage forms or dissolve in water (this applies for liquids also) and mix with kitty litter, coffee grounds, or other solid kitchen waste, then place in a sealed plastic bag before tossing in the trash to reduce the risk of poisoning children or pets.
3. Remove and destroy all identifying personal information on the label on the prescription container.
4. Check for approved state and local collection programs or with hazardous waste facilities.
5. Talk to your pharmacist. As medication experts, pharmacists are available to guide you on how to properly dispose of unused medications.