If you’ve ever wondered what to do with leftover or expired prescription medications, the federal government recently released some important advice. Here are guidelines from the Office of National Drug Control Policy. For more information go to: http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/pda/022007.html.
Here are your three options:
1. Throw drugs in the trash. To do this, remove pills from their original containers, mix the pills with coffee grounds or kitty litter and place in an empty can or sealable bag to ensure that the drugs are not diverted or accidentally ingested by children or pets. Conceal or remove any personal information, including Rx number, on the empty containers by covering it with black permanent marker or duct tape, or by scratching it off.
2. Flush drugs down the toilet only if the accompanying patient information specifically instructs it is safe to do so. Medications that should be flushed down the toilet rather than thrown in the trash include narcotic pain medications, such as fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic Transdermal System, Fentora), oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), meperidine, and morphine (Avinza); the narcolepsy drug sodium oxybate (Xyrem); the hepatitis drug entecavir (Baraclude); the attention deficit–hyperactivity disorder drug methylphenidate (Daytrana Transdermal Patch); and the HIV drugs atazanavir (Reyataz) and stavudine (Zerit).
3. Utilize drug take-back programs. If you are concerned about the environmental effects of flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash, take advantage of take-back programs, which allow you to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal. Ask your local pharmacy or municipal waste collection system if they have such a program.
