Operation Southwest Safe Drug DisposAL
Safe DisposAL of Unused Medicines
The Southwest Alabama Opioid Response(SAOR) Project has implemented “Operation Southwest Safe Drug DisposAL” to inform the communities of Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee Conecuh, Covington, Dallas, Escambia, Greene, Henry, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Sumter and Wilcox Counties of takeback programs and safe drug disposal methods.
Drug Take Back Programs
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sponsors National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in communities nationwide. These are typically held in April and October of each year. Check with your local law enforcement officials to find a location near you or with the DEA to find a DEA-authorized collector in your community.
You can also check with your local pharmacist. Some pharmacies offer on-site medicine drop-off boxes, mail-back programs, and other ways to help you safely dispose your unused medicines.
Missed the Rx Take Back Day?
DisposAL of Medicines at Home
When a take back option is not easily available, there are two ways to dispose of medicines at home, depending on the drug.
Flushing medicines: Because some medicines could be especially harmful to others, they have specific directions to immediately flush them down the sink or toilet when they are no longer needed, and a take-back option is not readily available.
How will you know? Check the label or the patient information leaflet with your medicine. Or consult the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s list of medicines recommended for disposal by flushing when a take back option is not readily available. Remember, don’t flush your medicine unless it is on the flush list.
Disposing medicines in household trash: If a take back program is not available, almost all medicines, except those on the FDA flush list (see below), can be thrown into your household trash. These include prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in pills, liquids, drops, patches, and creams.
Follow these steps:
Remove the drugs from their original containers and mix them with something undesirable, such as used coffee grounds, dirt, or cat litter. This makes the medicine less appealing to children and pets and unrecognizable to someone who might intentionally go through the trash looking for drugs.
Put the mixture in something you can close (a re-sealable zipper storage bag, empty can, or other container) to prevent the drug from leaking or spilling out.
Throw the container in the garbage.
Scratch out all your personal information on the empty medicine packaging to protect your identity and privacy. Throw the packaging away.
If you have a question about your medicine, ask your health care provider or pharmacist.
Source: For more information on what to do when you no longer need your medicines, visit this FDA page.
DisposAL of Inhaler Products
One environmental concern involves inhalers used by people who have asthma or other breathing problems, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Read handling instructions on the labeling of inhalers and aerosol products.
These products could be dangerous if punctured or thrown into a fire or incinerator. To properly dispose of these products and follow local regulations and laws, contact your trash and recycling facility.
Source: For more information on what to do when you no longer need your medicines, visit this FDA page.
2023 National Prescription Drug Takeback Days
April 22, 2023 10am-2pm
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© 2020 Southwest Alabama Opioid Response Project
The Southwest Alabama Opioid Response Project is an initiative of the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program and aims to reduce the morbidity and mortality of substance use disorder (SUD), including opioid use disorder (OUD) in the rural Alabama communities of Butler, Choctaw, Clarke, Coffee, Conecuh, Covington, Dallas, Escambia, Greene, Henry, Marengo, Monroe, Perry, Sumter and Wilcox Counties.
This website is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of 3 awards totaling $3,000,000 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
