Proper Medication Disposal
Throwing out or flushing prescription drugs, non-prescription drugs and other health products may have a harmful effect on the environment.
Do you have old or expired medicines languishing in your medicine cabinet? If so, you’re not alone. Just about all of us have items on our shelves that are no longer useful. The problem is we don’t know what to do with them. Flush them down the toilet? Throw them in the garbage? What is the safest option?
Over the past few decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of human and veterinary drugs, and personal care products in the marketplace. These drugs and products are adding to the array of chemicals and other substances present in our environment.
When prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications or other health products are thrown into the garbage, or flushed down the sink or toilet, their chemical components may be added to the water supply or soil. The presence of these substances in the environment is emerging as an important national and international issue. Although the concentration levels of these products in the environment is low, they may be enough to cause adverse effects in the environment and to human health.
Proper Use and Disposal of Drugs
You can help lessen the impact of these risks by disposing of drugs in a responsible way.
• Do not put out-of-date or unused medication in the garbage or down the toilet or sink.
• Contact your pharmacy. Many pharmacies now have drug recycling programs in place. Some take it back at any time, others hold periodic drives to collect expired medicine.
• Take drugs as directed by your doctor or pharmacist. Don’t stop taking a drug part way through the course of treatment, unless you are having a serious adverse reaction, without first discussing it with your doctor.
• Inquire if your municipality incinerates drugs. If so, take your unused drugs to your municipality’s waste disposal depot.
• At least once a year, go through your medicine cabinet and remove prescription drugs that are old or that you no longer take. Check the expiry dates on non-prescription drugs and remove those that are outdated. Take them all back to your pharmacy or to your municipal waste disposal depot.
If you don’t know if a drug is still good, check with your pharmacist.
The Medications Return Program is a product stewardship initiative funded by the pharmaceutical and self-care health products industries. More information can be obtained at www.medicationsreturn.ca
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