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Patients Shouldn’t Flush Away Most Prescription Drugs

With recent publicity about traces of prescription drugs turning up in the water supply, physicians should remind patients of federal guidelines regarding disposal of prescription medications. 

The federal government released the guidelines last year in hopes of decreasing the number of pills that are flushed down the toilet, as well as lowering the chances of drug diversion. 

Most unused, unneeded, or expired prescriptions should be removed from their original containers and thrown in the trash. To ensure that drugs are not diverted, they can be mixed with an undesirable substance, such as coffee grounds or kitty litter, or put in empty cans or sealable bags. 

Patients also are encouraged to participate in pharmaceutical take-back programs, which allow the public to bring unused prescriptions to a central location for proper disposal. House Bill 2073, which would require every retailer of prescription drugs to establish a system to collect unused drugs for proper disposal, is in committee in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does advise patients to flush some drugs—such as OxyContin and Percocet—down the toilet. Drugs should be flushed if that is specifically instructed on the label or accompanying patient information. 

For more information, including a printable PDF of the federal guidelines, visit the Office of National Drug Control Policy website.