Tag: how to throw away old medicine

What
not to do

• Flush it down the
  toilet. Unless
  the medicine’s instructions specifically call for it to be flushed,
  don’t do it. This could pollute your drinking water, as treatment
  stations aren’t very effective at removing these types of chemicals.

• Throw it straight
  into the garbage. You
  are asking for trouble if you take your medicine out of the bottle
  and throw it straight into the garbage. Pets and small children are
  very curious, and could potentially get their hands (or paws) on
  them. People have also been known to rummage through garbage cans
  intentionally searching for medicine.

How
to properly dispose of your medicine

• Find a local
  takeback pharmacy. Plenty
  of facilities exist around the country that will take back your
  unused medicine. Find one near you by clicking here. If you can’t
  find one close you, contact your local law enforcement or the DEA to
  find out about any upcoming takeback programs in your area.

• If there are no
  medicine recycling centers around you… you
  can throw your medicine away, but do it safely. Combine the medicine
  with an undesirable substance (such as coffee grounds or kitty
  litter) and seal them in a plastic bag. This helps prevents children
  and animals from poisoning themselves.