The Office of National Drug Control Policy has issued new guidelines for the proper disposal of prescription drugs. These guidelines, as outlined below, move us away from advice to flush these products down the toilet or sink and instead focus on disposal through the solid waste system. The new guidelines are as follows:
1) Take unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers.
2) Mix the prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, like used coffee grounds or kitty litter, and put them in impermeable, non-descript containers, such as empty cans or sealable bags, further ensuring that the drugs are not diverted or accidentally ingested by children or pets.
3) Throw these containers in the trash.
4) Flush prescription drugs down the toilet only if the accompanying patient information specifically instructs it is safe to do so.
5) Return unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs to pharmaceutical take-back locations that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for safe disposal.
Pharmaceutical take-back programs are currently very limited and there are barriers that exist to expand these programs in very broad ways. We will continue to work both within the state and nationally to explore ways to overcome existing barriers and expand these take-back programs, which ultimately seem to be provide a more responsible way to dispose of unwanted pharmaceuticals.
Note: Patients should always refer to printed material accompanying their medication for specific instructions.
http://www.medicinereturn.com/
