Medication Disposal
Safe and responsible ways to dispose of expired or unused medications.
Do you have expired drugs or medicines filling up your medicine cabinet? Proper disposal helps prevent accidental ingestion, misuse, and environmental contamination.
Medicine Disposal Recommendations
How should you dispose of them? Most drugs can be thrown in the trash, but you should take certain precautions before tossing them out.
Use Drug Take-Back Programs
Drug take-back days are organized by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible way of getting rid of unused prescription drugs, while also teaching everyone about drug abuse.
Use drug take-back programs if possible. Contact your local police department, fire department, newspaper or visit the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day website to find upcoming events and a collection site near you.
The National Community Pharmacy Association (NCPA) and Sharps Compliance, Inc. have identified pharmacies that participate in drug take-back programs. Visit disposemymeds.org for more information or sharpsinc.com for mail-in program information.
Household Disposal Tips
If a take-back program is not available, you can safely dispose of most medications at home by following these steps:
Mix with an undesirable substance
Mix all liquids or pills with water, kitty litter, coffee grounds, vinegar, ashes, table salt, or dirt to make them less appealing to people and pets.
Keep in original container
Keep the medicine in the original bottle with the childproof cap on. Scratch out all personal information on the label — your name, address, and prescription number.
Conceal the container
Put the bottle into another container that you can't see through and that has a lid. This adds an extra layer of protection.
Place in household trash
Put the sealed container into your normal trash (not recycling bin) on your garbage pick-up day, making sure all containers are sealed.
In all cases, be sure to remove all personal health information (name, address, Rx number, etc.) before disposal.
Opioid & Controlled Substance Disposal
Opioid painkillers and other controlled substances require special disposal protocols to prevent diversion, misuse, and accidental overdose. According to the CDC, nearly 70% of opioid prescriptions go unconsumed, leaving millions of unused pills in homes where they can be misused or stolen.
The DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is the safest way to dispose of opioids (oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, fentanyl patches), benzodiazepines, stimulants, and other controlled substances. These events accept all forms including pills, patches, liquids, and creams — no questions asked.
If you miss a take-back event, many pharmacies offer year-round controlled substance disposal kiosks. Visit the DEA Diversion Control Division for permanent collection site locations or call 1-888-523-7141 for pharmacist guidance on safe opioid disposal.
Critical: Fentanyl patches should be folded sticky-side-in and flushed down the toilet immediately when take-back is unavailable — this is a life-saving measure to prevent accidental exposure to children and pets.
Sharps & Needle Disposal
Used needles, syringes, lancets, and insulin pens (sharps) should never be placed loose in household trash or recycling. Improper sharps disposal poses serious injury and infection risks to sanitation workers, family members, and pets.
Use an FDA-approved sharps container
Place used needles and lancets immediately into a puncture-resistant, leak-proof sharps container. These are available at most pharmacies including CVS, Walgreens, and online.
Alternative: heavy-duty household container
If an FDA-approved container is not available, use a heavy-duty plastic laundry detergent bottle with a screw-on cap that is puncture-resistant and leak-proof. Do not use glass bottles or thin plastic containers.
Seal and label when three-quarters full
When the container is about three-quarters full, seal the lid tightly, tape it closed, and label it "Sharps — Do Not Recycle." Check with your local pharmacy, health department, or hospital for community sharps disposal programs.
The SafeNeedleDisposal.org website provides state-by-state sharps disposal regulations and local drop-off locations.
FDA Flush List & Environmental Impact
The FDA maintains a flush list of medications — primarily opioids and other high-risk controlled substances — that should be flushed down the toilet immediately when a take-back option is unavailable. This life-saving measure prevents accidental overdose from a single dose.
For all other medications, do not flush. Flushing non-flush-list medications contributes to pharmaceutical contamination of groundwater and aquatic ecosystems. Studies have detected trace levels of antibiotics, antidepressants, and hormones in municipal water supplies. The EPA recommends household trash disposal (with the precautions above) for all medications not on the FDA flush list.
Examples of medications on the FDA flush list include: fentanyl (patches and lozenges), oxycodone (certain formulations), morphine sulfate, hydromorphone, methadone, and buprenorphine. View the full FDA flush list for current recommendations.
Environmental note: Drug take-back programs that incinerate medications at high temperatures eliminate pharmaceutical waste entirely, making them the most environmentally responsible disposal method for all medication types.
Pharmacy Drug Take-Back Locations
Beyond DEA take-back events, year-round medication disposal kiosks are available at thousands of pharmacies across the United States:
- • CVS Pharmacy — Over 1,600 CVS locations offer in-store medication disposal kiosks for controlled and non-controlled medications. Check your local CVS.
- • Walgreens — Safe medication disposal kiosks available at select 24-hour locations and pharmacies nationwide.
- • Independent Pharmacies — The Dispose My Meds program lists participating independent pharmacies across all 50 states.
- • Mail-Back Programs — Sharps Compliance offers pre-paid mail-back envelopes and containers for safe medication disposal by mail.
Need help finding a disposal location? Contact Order-CS at +1-888-523-7141 or visit our FAQ for pharmacist-assisted disposal guidance.
What NOT To Do With Unused Medications
✗ Do not flush non-flush-list drugs
Flushing most medications introduces active pharmaceutical ingredients into waterways, harming aquatic life and potentially contaminating drinking water.
✗ Do not give to friends or family
Sharing prescription medications is illegal and dangerous. A medication appropriate for one person may be harmful to another due to different medical conditions, allergies, or drug interactions.
✗ Do not crush or break pills before disposal
Crushing pills can create airborne dust that may be inhaled or cause cross-contamination. Keep pills whole when mixing with undesirable substances.
✗ Do not leave in unsecured trash
Medications disposed in open or flimsy trash bags can be accessed by children, pets, or individuals seeking drugs to misuse. Always conceal and seal containers.