How should you dispose of unused medications?

Question

I've read that flushing the down the toilet is not a good option since the medicines then go back into our water supplies.

Answer 1

actually in my state it is very illegal for pharmacies to take back any prescription once it has left the pharmacy, which (by default) includes expired pills.
what we did with the expired bottles of pills in our stock though, is take an inventory and send it to this special pharmacuticals disposal facility.

Answer 2

I have worked in inpatient/outpatient pharmacies for 10+ years. The medication that is accidentally dropped on the floor is flushed down the toilet or put into biohazard bins then put into an incinerator. Expired meds that have not left the hospital are sent back to the distributor we bought them from.

Handing expired medication to a pharmacist is our of the question! We're not allowed to take pills back. It's against the law, people. How do we know what you are handing us is expired medication or something you have put into the capsules at home? I don't take anything back that has left my sight, ever.

Flush it.

NO you can't recycle your prescription bottles.
NO we can't reuse your old bottles, either.
NO you can't bring your empty bottles to me and have me do anything with them.

That's just the way it is. There are laws regulating what we do so we're not going to jeopardize our license or career. Haven't you heard of sewage treatment? What comes out of the tap as clean once had feces in it my dear.

Answer 3

Call your pharmacist about the proper way to dispose of them. Most pharmacies deal with this on a daily basis, and have the means to dispose of them safely. I agree that putting them into the water supply is generally a bad idea.

Answer 4

I absolutely have worked in inpatient/outpatient pharmacies for 10+ years. the medication that is with assistance from twist of destiny dropped on the floor is flushed down something else room or placed into biohazard packing bins then placed into an incinerator. Expired meds which have not left the nicely-being facility are despatched decrease back to the distributor we supplied them from. Handing expired drugs to a pharmacist is our of the question! we are now no longer allowed to take pills decrease back. that is a criminal offense, human beings. How do all persons understand what you're handing us is expired drugs or something you've placed into the medication at abode? i do now no longer take something decrease back that has left my sight, ever. Flush it. NO you is merely no longer in a position to recycle your prescription bottles. NO we received't reuse your previous bottles, both. NO you is merely no longer in a position to provide your empty bottles to me and performance me do something with them. that is basically how that is. There are guidelines regulating what we achieve this we are now no longer likely to jeopardize our license or career. have not you heard of sewage remedy? What comes out of the tap as sparkling as right away as had feces in it my intense priced.

Answer 5

I use to be a pharmacy technician, if people brought us pills for disposal we just took em and put them down the drain.

I remember we use to make pills at the pharmacy (compounding) and once the pharmacist made a bad batch, they just went down the drain.

Answer 6

Turn them over to your local pharmacy or hospital. Flushing them down the commode would only help to pollute our water supply. We have enough chemical companies doing that. Vote Democrat.

Answer 7

why would **** water be reused when you flush something down the toilet in stays down and goes into a septic tank so by all means flush it

Answer 8

Hand them in to your local chemist (pharmacist) or doctors surgery. They will do it for you.

You are correct, they should not go in to the water supply.

Answer 9

Give them to your pharmacy and ask them to destroy them. Most pharmacies use a service center that they send expired drugs or patient returns to. There, they get incinerated.

Answer 10

hand them over to a loca;l chemist