COMMUNITY RESOURCES Dispose of unused medications

It is important to remove all leftover medication from your home.

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All leftover medicine should be removed from the home. Keeping leftover opioid pain medication can have serious risks. Opioid accidents or misuse can lead to emergency room visits, overdose, and death.

Community take-back events and medication disposal drop boxes at pharmacies or law enforcement agencies are safe ways to dispose of most unused, unwanted, or expired medications. You can also ask your local pharmacist for advice on how to safely dispose of a specific medication.

Dispose medication safely, especially prescription opioids.

Several options for disposing medications are available.

Medication disposal drop boxes

A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) authorized disposal drop box may be available near you. You can search for a pharmacy with a registered medication drop box location using the DEA's searchable database to find one close to you.

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National Take Back Day Events

Occurring every Spring and Fall, the Drug Enforcement Administration National Prescription Drug Take Back Days are alternative disposal options if you do not have a drop box nearby.

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At-home disposal options

Flushing medications

Check out the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) list of medications that can be disposed of at-home by flushing when other disposal options are not available.

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Household trash

Medication can be disposed of in household trash if no other options are available. Remove the drug from the original container, mix with coffee grounds, dirt, or cat litter in a container you can close, then throw the container in the garbage.