How to get rid of old drugs

[Deleted]

When my husband was so sick last year, he accumulated a lot of unused prescriptions.  He would take them for about a week, and then the doctor would change it something else.  There's warfarin (blood thinner in there) plus some eye drops (he had cataract surgery as well) and who knows what else.  It is all in a giant Ziploc bag.

So what is the average person supposed to do with these?  There are no narcotics in the bag.  Some communities have days for collecting stuff like this; ours doesn't.

Any suggestions?  We could send them to the landfill in the garbage, I guess.  That just seems potentially harmful.  But I guess any disposal is potentially harmful.

I'm going to ask my daughter, who is a pharmacist, but I wondered if you guys had any suggestions.

[KaraBoo]

We have a hazardous chemical recycling building near us that I *think* will take prescriptions like you are describing.  You might try something like that.

Checking with the pharmacies in your area as well will probably get you the answer you're looking for.

[kgb18]

Contact your local police department. A few times a year in our area the police have a day that people can drop off old/unused medications.

I've heard that you can mix them with used coffee grounds and then throw them in the trash.

[justme]

If it's just pills last time I was at CVS by the pharmacy they had these packets you could buy and you'd mail the pills to some place and they dispose of them. Someone also told me to ask the fire dept. I had expired pen needles and just threw em out on a cleaning spree.

[mrsdutt]

The hospice nurse ground DH's and put them in coffee grounds.  Then in the trash.

[Deleted]

Walgreen's has the mail-in envelopes, but they are currently are out.  I am afraid it's one per envelope, and we probably have 15 prescription meds.  I think I'll just grind and put in coffee grounds.

[justme]

Geeze, 1 per envelope? What does it matter? For all the PSAs I see about not throwing away or flushing them yet there's not an easy, free way to get rid of them. I'm half surprised one of the national pharmacies haven't jumped on this to get people to come and use them.

[Deleted]

I don't know if it is one prescription per envelope, Justme.  That's just what my worst case scenario would be.

I think most of the PSA announcements are worried about narcotics.  No one wants warfarin . . . not even the patients it is prescribed for!

[marvholly]

I live in the near Chicago burbs. Our local health dept takes them.
Also, I believe CVS does too. Have not had an issue for about 10 years w/old Rx.

[constanz22]

I think our Health Dept and police station take them here. I don't know if it's all the time or only when they do a big collection drive. I should look into it too. I have tons of old pills around here. I have a hard time with any kind of medication. If it has a side effect, I get it, so I often have to try 2, 3, 4 different things before I can find one. So frustrating but at least I have good insurance with a low co-pay!

[thyme4change]

www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm101653.htm

FDA guidelines - coffee grounds. 

[InsertCoolName]

Flush down the toilet.

[sesfw]

'Flush down the toilet.'

Illegal in most places.  Not a good idea.  Especially if the water is cleaned and reused on things like golf courses and ponds.  The drugs have disolved in the water and doesn't go away.

Our police dept has a 'prescription' day each year the I took all of DH, kitty-kat, and outdated OTC meds there.  OTC meds were opened and dumped in one barrel, prescriptions were in another barrel.  All were to be burned.

[greenstone]

'Flush down the toilet.'

Illegal in most places. Not a good idea. Especially if the water is cleaned and reused on things like golf courses and ponds. The drugs have disolved in the water and doesn't go away.


It is even worse if the water is treated and re-enters the potable stream. Most waste water treatment programs do not treat for pharmaceuticals and they are often present in trace amount that are below most currently available methods of detection. Even trace amounts can have dire effects on the larval or juvenile developmental stage in organisms, including humans. Pharmaceuticals are part of an area of environmental study called "contaminants of emerging concern"

water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/ppcp/index.cfm

[chiver78]

Jun 2, 2013 15:51:29 GMT -5 greenstone said:

'Flush down the toilet.'

Illegal in most places. Not a good idea. Especially if the water is cleaned and reused on things like golf courses and ponds. The drugs have disolved in the water and doesn't go away.


It is even worse if the water is treated and re-enters the potable stream. Most waste water treatment programs do not treat for pharmaceuticals and they are often present in trace amount that are below most currently available methods of detection. Even trace amounts can have dire effects on the larval or juvenile developmental stage in organisms, including humans. Pharmaceuticals are part of an area of environmental study called "contaminants of emerging concern"

water.epa.gov/scitech/swguidance/ppcp/index.cfm

-yeahthat-

I've seen quite a few scientific articles discussing the presence of hormones (in the form of flushed meds) in the water sources around the country. it isn't a stretch to include ALL meds in the same discussion. After all, they all have a solubility rating.

I'll echo those posters that said to contact your local PD. my city had a hazardous waste disposal day last month. I turned over a paper grocery bag full of camp-sized propane tanks from my tailgate grill, but when I got in line I was asked whether I had meds to dispose of as well.


sent from my electronic distraction

[Deleted]

I looked it up on the link Thyme sent.  It's once a year (last month, I think, which would correspond to what Chiver said since it is national), and it is already over for 2013.  I really want these drugs out of the house.  I have tons of small grandchildren so I'm going to use the coffee grounds in the plastic bag once DH gets home.  I don't actually drink coffee.   

I don't flush anything down the toilet because I am on a septic system.  I wouldn't want to mess up all those hungry little bacteria at work in my little private sewer system.    I could take them to school to flush, but I don't really want to kill anyone in the community where I teach.  Unemployment sucks. 

[ՏՇԾԵԵʅՏɧ_LԹՏՏʅҼ]

Here, we can return them or turn over to a pharmacy - and they will properly dispose of them in the same manner as they would with any of their expired behind-the-counter prescip meds they have in stock.

[Peace Of Mind]

No!  Don't flush down the toilet!

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the EE crew.  They'll take them! 

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Our town has the annual collection, but there is also a drop box (like a mailbox) in the lobby of the police station for year-round disposal. 

Call your police department and see if they have such a box.  

[toomuchreality]

Jun 2, 2013 22:49:37 GMT -5 Peace Of Mind said:

No!  Don't flush down the toilet!

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the EE crew.  They'll take them! 

  


Me =

[Bob Ross]

Jun 2, 2013 15:51:29 GMT -5 greenstone said:

     Even trace amounts can have dire effects on the larval or juvenile developmental stage in organisms, including humans.

I know I'd have been hella pissed if the actions of some irresponsible party had interfered with my larval development.

[garion2003]

The police station in my town now takes old meds year round.

Or you could host a "pharming" party!

[Bob Ross]

Pfft.  Everyone knows that the correct way to get rid of old drugs is to blend them all up with daiquiri mix, and then enjoy the colors.