# Dispose of unused and expired medications by tossing into the trash??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 16, 2014, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878 "2014-06-16T03:50:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/21 "2014-06-16T15:56:53Z")
How to dispose of expired Vicodin? Can’t say that’s a problem I’ve ever encountered. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/22 "2014-06-16T22:50:23Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > It’s not just concern that somebody will pick them out of the garbage and consume them. (Because honestly, anyone who’d do that has a lot of other serious problems.) The bigger concern is the drugs ending up in the water supply and people unknowingly drinking water than contains pharmaceutical compounds. > > [AP: Drugs found in drinking water - USATODAY.com](http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-03-10-drugs-tap-water_N.htm) When I first graduated (20 years ago - where has the time gone?) I worked at a mail order place that filled several thousand prescriptions a day, and I would sometimes be assigned to help destroy drugs that were expired, had been run over by a delivery truck, etc. Before dumping them in the toilet, we’d often say things like, “Time to cure the fishies of their high cholesterol!” 😛 p.s. Not a small percentage of the drugs found in drinking water actually come from farm runoff. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2014, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/23 "2014-06-16T23:03:59Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > How to dispose of expired Vicodin? Can’t say that’s a problem I’ve ever encountered. One of my classmates died from doing this kind of thing. ☹ :smack: :eek: :mad: And I know of other health care professionals who are in prison, lost their license, etc. for the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/24 "2014-06-17T04:53:49Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > One of my classmates died from doing this kind of thing. ☹ :smack: :eek: :mad: > > And I know of other health care professionals who are in prison, lost their license, etc. for the same reason. Um they meant their own script maybe? I’d never throw out a strong pain killer, expiration dates have zero science behind them except in certain drugs. Especially with how hard ass doctors are becoming I’d rather have some when I need it, rather than being in pain begging and being accused of being a drug seeker. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/25 "2014-06-17T04:57:17Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > I’m not sure about the dangers of putting them in garbage heaps where others may retrieve them as this American site warns, **[Take Back Your Meds](http://www.takebackyourmeds.org/what-you-can-do/medicine-disposal-myths-and-facts)**, because never in my life have I seen anyone scrabbling through general household waste for stuff they are going to put in their body. This whole thing about hiding drugs in the trash from addicts seems urban legendish, so you’re telling me there are drug addicts randomly sifting through household waste looking for random pills to look up in the PDR:dubious: It is silly, screams moral panic. Hilarious thing is some of those take back drop offs are totally unguarded, if I was looking for narcotics I’d swipe one of those instead of canvassing the household waste of subdivisions.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/26 "2014-06-17T05:33:55Z")
> [@grude](#): > > This whole thing about hiding drugs in the trash from addicts seems urban legendish, so you’re telling me there are drug addicts randomly sifting through household waste looking for random pills to look up in the PDR:dubious: > > It is silly, screams moral panic. > > Hilarious thing is some of those take back drop offs are totally unguarded, if I was looking for narcotics I’d swipe one of those instead of canvassing the household waste of subdivisions.😃 I’m saying the exact opposite: so read more carefully. That site I linked to, and others here suggesting grinding meds up ( in a mortar ? ) with coffee and kitty litter imply that druggies sift through trash. I’m saying that’s unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/27 "2014-06-17T05:40:47Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > I’m saying the exact opposite: so read more carefully. That site I linked to, and others here suggesting grinding meds up ( in a mortar ? ) with coffee and kitty litter imply that druggies sift through trash. I’m saying that’s unlikely. I was actually agreeing with your post, advising people to grind pills into dust and not only that but to then mix in with inert materials to avoid what a druggie that finds powder in the trash sending it to a lab for analysis to see if it is something good? I think it is more than unlikely, it sounds laughable. And I’ve seen it from several sources.\ EDIT:I meant “you’re telling me” in a way like so you’re telling me to x-ray all candy for syringes inside. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/28 "2014-06-17T05:53:19Z")
Thanks. Although to be fair, I have fairly low views on druggies, even though I’ve met a few, so perhaps one in a million _might_ root around the trash. One tries not to be judgmental, since they have every right to destroy themselves with random crap, but there are limits… ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2014, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/29 "2014-06-17T23:52:04Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yhuMLpdnOjY/hqdefault.jpg "Tom Lehrer - Poisoning Pigeons In The Park") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhuMLpdnOjY) Or, seconding checking in with the local P.D. non emergency number, to ask if they have a drop off. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/30 "2014-06-18T04:52:23Z")
> [@grude](#): > > Um they meant their own script maybe? > > I’d never throw out a strong pain killer, expiration dates have zero science behind them except in certain drugs. Especially with how hard ass doctors are becoming I’d rather have some when I need it, rather than being in pain begging and being accused of being a drug seeker. Maybe, but in these cases, they stole drugs from the pharmacy where they worked, often expired but not always. I heard about one pharmacist who was rumored to have gone into the field to have access to drugs (trust me, I can think of easier ways to get them) and she took expired narcotics home with her instead of sending them back like we’re supposed to. She also took the paperwork home as well, and when the authorities came after her, she tore it all up and flushed it down the toilet. :smack: You guessed it - the toilet got stopped up, and the plumber retrieved all the evidence to get her arrested, and her license revoked. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/31 "2014-06-18T08:29:25Z")
According to their own web site, [Walgreens has a medication disposal program](http://www.walgreens.com/topic/sr/sr_safe_medication_disposal.jsp) where you put the drugs in an envelope and mail them to an incineration facility. I don’t see anything on that page about how to use it, however. Are the stores supposed to hand out envelopes for this purpose? It doesn’t say. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/32 "2014-06-18T10:37:43Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > According to their own web site, [Walgreens has a medication disposal program](http://www.walgreens.com/topic/sr/sr_safe_medication_disposal.jsp) where you put the drugs in an envelope and mail them to an incineration facility. I don’t see anything on that page about how to use it, however. Are the stores supposed to hand out envelopes for this purpose? It doesn’t say. The nationwide disposal program at Walgreens requires you to purchase the envelope from Walgreens. It is not a free program. Ask the pharmacist if you’re interested. I have seen a few Walgreens stores in California where they have bins to dispose of medications free of charge. I don’t know how widespread this program is or whether it operates in any other state. Frankly, I can’t imagine that anyone would actually pay Walgreens to dispose of their drugs. That might have something to do with why they haven’t promoted this program at all since it first started a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/33 "2014-06-18T12:24:44Z")
I belong to a healthcare cooperative. One stop shopping. The pharmacy is mail order or walk-in at the same clinic where I see my doctor. They use a third party That provides a secure bin with explicit instructions for what they will and will not accept. _NO narcotics._ No needles, no loose pills, they want the labels in place, I guess so if you break the rules they know who to come back on. The drugs go into a heavy plastic bag, inside a water proofed cardboard box, which is stored inside a metal container until pickup. The cardboard is then sealed. They then take it to a clean-burning incinerator. (the clean burning part is it’s a very high temp and the smoke is ultra-filtered. They don’t take narcotics because there is a very loose chain of evidence and low paid workers along the way. Disposing of narcotics is very simple. Empty the bottle into some other noxious, wet garbage. Coffee grounds work well. Put the whole deal in a plastic bag and tie it up. No one is going to even know they might be in there. They’re safe from theives and the ground water is relatively safe. Narcotics degrade pretty quickly in a wet environment. They don’t come out in the river as fentenyl or oxycodone. The drugs in ground water that aren’t safe are things like Asprin, tylenol and blood pressure meds. Also things like gout medication, even allergy meds can have devastating effects on children. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/34 "2014-06-18T14:48:32Z")
I always wondered why there isn’t some kind of donation program; I mean, I have a full bottle of ondransenton(?- Zofran) and a bottle that’s almost full (I think I took one) of generic Norco from my knee surgery in January (prescribed in February) that are still perfectly good and not expired, but I don’t have any reason to take a non-nausea drug or a fairly stout painkiller. It seems like a waste to just trash them when there’s probably someone out there of limited means with chronic pain or in chemotherapy who could really use these drugs. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/35 "2014-06-18T22:28:09Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I always wondered why there isn’t some kind of donation program; I mean, I have a full bottle of ondransenton(?- Zofran) and a bottle that’s almost full (I think I took one) of generic Norco from my knee surgery in January (prescribed in February) that are still perfectly good and not expired, but I don’t have any reason to take a non-nausea drug or a fairly stout painkiller. > > It seems like a waste to just trash them when there’s probably someone out there of limited means with chronic pain or in chemotherapy who could really use these drugs. It’s the whole chain-of-custody thing. ---
**Author:** ![PurpleClogs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@PurpleClogs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PurpleClogs)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/36 "2014-06-19T01:43:17Z")
> [@grude](#): > > I’d never throw out a strong pain killer, expiration dates have zero science behind them except in certain drugs. Especially with how hard ass doctors are becoming I’d rather have some when I need it, rather than being in pain begging and being accused of being a drug seeker. I know from 1st hand experience that Vicodin in particular does lose consistency of effectiveness when it gets old. I’ve been taking it occasionally for at least 10 years. I’ve had a few injuries where it was prescribed, and suffer from chronic pain as well. All my doctors are aware of the frequency and dosages and I’m not addicted or an abuser. But I have lots of old partial bottles. If I need it for a few days and don’t have any in the current bottle I’ll take the old ones until I can get to the doctor. Sometimes a pill works perceptively normal, yet sometimes I can’t even tell I took one. It’s a dud. And everywhere in between. I take that chance because I’d rather do that than have to leave the house when I’m really hurting. > [@bump](#): > > I always wondered why there isn’t some kind of donation program; Great until some is hurt or dies from it. Then how do we know who to hold responsible? ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/37 "2014-06-19T02:53:55Z")
Call the local cop shop and ask if they know how you should dispose of them. The rules vary from state to state. ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/38 "2014-06-19T13:46:13Z")
> [@bump](#): > > I always wondered why there isn’t some kind of donation program; I mean, I have a full bottle of ondransenton(?- Zofran) and a bottle that’s almost full (I think I took one) of generic Norco from my knee surgery in January (prescribed in February) that are still perfectly good and not expired, but I don’t have any reason to take a non-nausea drug or a fairly stout painkiller. > > It seems like a waste to just trash them when there’s probably someone out there of limited means with chronic pain or in chemotherapy who could really use these drugs. Not everyone is honest. Not everyone has a good memory. Not everyone uses clean hands to pour pills out. Every 'script would have to be checked for accuracy and cultured to be sure they aren’t contaminated. The drugs are worth less than the time and effort it would take to recycle them. ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/39 "2014-06-19T14:30:00Z")
Most packaged tablets seem to be sealed by back-foil in plastic containers, with the name of the medicine on the foil. A prankster would either have to duplicate the process, or maliciously substitute something other and stick down the foil once more, somehow. Seems a pity some poor sick person shouldn’t have their benefit. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878/40 "2014-06-19T17:40:12Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > What are you supposed to do if you don’t have cats and don’t drink coffee? Get a cat from the local shelter, mix the meds with coffee, and feed them to the cat. Repeat until you run out of coffee, medications, or cats. Regards, Shodan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dispose-of-unused-and-expired-medications-by-tossing-into-the-trash/690878.md?page=3)