New FDA Web Page Lists Disposal Instructions for Select Medicines

The FDA has launched a webpage with information about disposing of certain drugs, including several high-potency opioids and other selected controlled substances.
These medicines have the potential to be harmful, even deadly, in a single dose if taken by someone other than the intended person.

The FDA recommends disposing of these medicines by flushing them down the sink or toilet. The goal is to keep them away from children and other people who could be harmed by taking them accidentally.

Medicines not listed on the Web page should be thrown away in the household trash after being mixed them with some unpalatable substance, such as coffee grounds, and sealed in a bag or other container. Another option is to dispose of them through drug take-back programs, if federal and state law permit.

"The safe disposal of medicines from the home after they are no longer needed is an important concern for the FDA," said Douglas Throckmorton, MD, Deputy Center Director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

All medicines listed on the Web page have disposal instructions in their professional prescribing information. However, this information targets healthcare professionals. The new FDA Web page provides clear instructions for consumers on whether a medicine should be flushed or disposed of in the trash.

Throckmorton also said, "The FDA is working with other groups to improve the use of several drug disposal methods, including drug take-back programs. However, for some potent medicines that can cause harm or death if inadvertently taken by family members, the FDA currently recommends flushing them down the sink or toilet to immediately and permanently remove them from the home. Simple precautions [such as] these can reduce the likelihood of accidental and potentially dangerous exposure to unused medicines."

More information is available on these Web pages:

• Disposal by Flushing of Certain Unused Medicines: What You Should Know
• Medicines Recommended for Disposal by Flushing

Contact:
Christopher Kelly
301-796-4676
christopher.kelly@fda.hhs.gov