Pet Medication Disposal

Do you have pet medications that you no longer need?

Proper disposal of both pet and human prescription and over-the-counter medication is important for your family's safety and for the health of the environment.

The best way to dispose of most types of unused or expired medicines (both prescription and over-the-counter) is to immediately use a take-back option.

• drop off the medicine at a drug take-back location, or
• mail your expired or unused medicines using a pre-paid drug mail-back envelope.

If you don’t have a drug take-back location near you or if drug mail-back envelopes are not available to you, check the FDA’s Flush List to see if your medicine is on the list. Medicines on the flush list are those sought-after for their misuse and/or abuse potential and that can result in death from one dose if inappropriately taken. If children, adults, or pets in your home accidentally or intentionally ingest, touch, misuse, or abuse a medicine on the flush list, they can suffer serious consequences, including death.

Remember, don’t flush your medicine unless it is on the flush list.

Examples of drugs on the flush list include any drug that contains the word "buprenorphine," "fentanyl," "hydrocodone," "morphine," and "oxycodone."

If you cannot dispose of medications through a drug take-back event or drop-off location, you can dispose of them in your trash through the following method:

1. Take waste pharmaceuticals out of their original containers and mix with an undesirable substance such as used cat litter, or coffee grounds.
2. Place this mixture in a plastic bag or other sealable container, such as an empty plastic container.
3. Place the sealed container with the mixture in the trash as close to garbage pickup time as possible, to prevent theft and misuse.

It is suggested that you mark out personal information on medication labels before disposing of bottles or packaging.