Decluttering? How to Properly Dispose of Old Medicines

So you have been going through the house (during NY on Pause) cleaning out cupboards and you have come across old medications and you want to know how to dispose of them correctly. April 25, 2020 was supposed to be the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, but like everything else during this time, it was postponed.

So what can you do? Call the pharmacy that you frequent and see if they have a take back option. You can also click here for a DEA drug take back locator (it searches by zip code).

Depending on the type of medication, you can flush them down the toilet. Use this only if they are considered flushable and you do not have a drug take back facility near you. Click here for a list of drugs that could be flushed if you absolutely had too.

Is your medicine on the do not flush list, but you 'just want to put it in your trash?' Click here for information from the DEA that explains how to properly put those items into your trash.

What I found in my cupboard was prescriptions from my dog who had passed away last year. I called the veterinarian to see what I should do/how I should dispose of these medicines. Their office told me to bring the old prescriptions back to them and they would dispose of them for me. Do you have a prescription drug drop off near you?

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