We have a county "roundup" where they collect old meds, dead batteries, paint, cosmetics. Do you have anything like that?

Burning plastic can emit dangerous fumes, so you are correct in not wanting to burn the containers.

Our Indiana State Police have had a prescription drug drop off.. Check with your local police department...

No, we don't. This is why I get annoyed about local government dropping the ball. Apparently there's an annual collection at a neighboring county, but I'll have to find out if they'll take meds from "outsiders." I know they won't take our paint.

I drive 26 miles to a recycling center for the usual plastic, glass, and newspapers. I don't mind, because it's near AC Moore and other stores, so I can combine the trip. But local governments should do what they can to make good environmental practices easier for residents.

I didn't see that, Cate. I'll call them, thanks.

Okay, I just called them. The police officer was very nice, but he told me to flush them. Oy.....

Somewhere I read about crushing pills with coffee grounds and putting them outside away from the house. This might work if you had acreage. Did you ask your vet? I know what you mean. Here in this state they don't recycle much of anything. Could you call any state agencies? Do you have an animal shelter/humane society? Some will take the pills and use them.
Hope someone has better advice.

Aaack! No, I wouldn't burn them--sounds like a bad idea to me. When I took mine to the police station of a neighboring city, he had the gall to tell me he couldn't accept them because of that, but the guy behind me said, "Give me the bag." He then turned his stuff in, including mine. Worked for all of us.

The FDA recommends mixing them in kitty litter or coffee grounds and putting them in the trash.

They also recommend that certain meds be flushed. This is their statement on whether it hurts the environment or not: "The majority of medicines found in the water system are a result of the body�s natural routes of drug elimination (in urine or feces). Scientists, to date, have found no evidence of harmful effects to human health from medicines in the environment."

Definitely don't burn plastic pill containers in your wood stove.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/EnsuringSafeUseofMedicine/SafeDisposalofMedicines/ucm186187.htm

We have an old med drop off 4 times a year at our hazardous waste drop-off.

But... failing that. I've been told the next best thing is to unbottle them, wrap them up in a fairly damp paper towel, and throw them in the trash. The moisture in the towel, exposure and/or heat from decomposing trash in the landfill will render pills ineffective in a very short time.

You should not burn the prescriptions at home and certainly not IN the home. The best way to be rid of them is incineration but through the proper channels.

I guess that if I had no other alternative, I'd empty the pills and crush them...and add them to the trash.

Maybe you could begin a little campaign in your community to have some drop off days. My city only began doing this a year or so ago. I remember that they had just one drop off location and just a few people on duty. Well, they had vehicles backed up for hours! They collected about a millions times more than expected. It's obviously important to consumers to keep these medications out of the water, out of the soil, and out of the hands of someone who shouldn't use them.

Now, the City has several drop off locations. They only do it two or three times a year, and collect more and more each time.

No I would never burn them especially not in an indoor fire chemicals change when subjected to heat, very bad advice from that guy.
This is the link to the official website for this subject.

You can dissolve them in water then mix sand or soil with it and bag that then dispose of this, it would make it much less harmful.

Here is a link that might be useful: Site

Have you considered calling your local hospital?

I had this problem multiplied 100 fold after my husband's
death...serious, serious pain meds...and I had a terrible time getting help with disposal. One of his oncologists took back sealed fentanyl patches but anything in pill form was left to my own devices. At the time...my local hospital and related facilities wouldn't help with disposal so I put all the pill meds in a huge glass bowl and filled it with straight Clorox. I let it sit...stirring occasionally...for 3 days. The pills would not dissolve...but they did form a somewhat harmless gelatinous mass that I packaged in several layers of plastic and on the advice of local medicos, I threw it away in the regular rubbish.

Do I feel that the package was harmless? Not necessarily...but I'm confident that the Clorox did a fairly good job of reducing it's chemical compound...and no one who found it would ever contemplate sticking it in their mouth.

Good luck with your quest, Susan.

HTH

Anne

Here in progressive Iowa, you can turn in your old drugs to any pharmacy and they will dispose of them for you.

After Gary passed away, I had pain meds left over. Hospice took the Morphine and not the others. They suggested I just flush them after soaking them in a cup of bleach.

Our vet will take pills back that she has dispensed and give them to people that she knows cannot afford the drugs that their pet needs. They were returned in their original containers. No money is offered for these returns but it does allow people like seniors the opportunity to keep their pets longer if they are strapped financially.

I didn't know our area was so 'advanced'. Walgreens and CVS accept prescriptions meds for disposal. (What they DO with them...don't know.)

We can take any unused meds to the sheriff department at anytime and they will handle them. They also have a several community collections each year. On a septic system, I wouldn't want to put anything down there. The Walgreens here will SELL you an envelope, to put a few in but I'll be darned if I will pay them after what they have already been paid. I would think burning anything would just be another form of pollution, as putting them in the land fill.

Some people are recommending that we burn 'em, huh?

People called "airheads"?

ole joyful

Michigan has the "Yellow Jug Program" where you take any unwanted pills to a participating pharmacy.

Thanks for all the thoughtful responses, everyone.

Have you considered calling your local hospital?

Anne, the hospital pharmacist was the one who told me to toss them--bottle and all--in the woodstove.

A lot of the expert advice is designed to make it unlikely for anyone to come along and swallow the discarded pills. That's fine, but I'm also concerned about the environment. I don't want my water or soil contaminated, and that includes the water and soil surrounding a landfill.
I don't know how the FDA can make a statement like this:

Scientists, to date, have found no evidence of harmful effects to human health from medicines in the environment.

I think the explanation is that so far they haven't really looked into it.

Yes, the FDA says no harmful effects to "human health" in the environment...but that doesn't mean there are no harmful effects to animal life. What about insects, birds, animals drinking ground water than has had medicines drained into it...that's my question.

Maybe it's so dilute that it doesn't cause harm. But you do have to wonder.

we can take them to our police department

So sorry you're having such a hard time trying to do the right thing, Susan.

Over the last few years, since my husband's death and my quandary, our local attitude has changed considerably and we're now able to take unused meds to all of our local pharmacies plus the police stations. Perhaps all your calls will get the powers that be in your area to modernize their attitudes, as well. I'm sure that my dilemma contributed to our local action. I wasn't alone in my quest...and many a widow pleaded with our local system to relieve them of their burden. It became quite an issue. Although I'm sure the Clorox destroyed any harmful effects those meds may have had...I was still uncomfortable about disposing of the package so I understand exactly how you feel.

Personally...I'm appalled that your hospital pharmacist gave you such dangerous advice. It would make me think twice about ever using their facility if he's indicative of their "talent".

Anne

I'm afraid the hospital pharmacist is indeed indicative of that facility's "talent." I would go elsewhere for medical care of any kind.

This is a very rural area, and many of the local governments tend to be . . . um . . . unsophisticated when it comes to issues impacting the environment.

If you are in a modern environment with modern plumbing connected to city/county services all sewage goes through the treatment plants.

The FDA has looked into it. If the toilet can handle your bodily wastes along with your vitamins and supplements and illness you pass through then it can handle the drugs you may flush or put down the sink.

Groundwater does not become contaminated from sewer systems unless they are leaking or malfunctioning in some way. City storm water is contaminated by thing that are dumped outside not by things that are flushed or put down the drain. Most medical contamination comes from animal waste from treated farm animals etc.

Ground water gets contaminated from run-off. The water goes directly into the ground. Pesticides,fertilizers,washing your car, leaking vehicles and so on get to the groundwater. Most pharmaceutical contamination comes from animal waste from treated farm animals etc. And illegal drug labs of course.

I'm not in a "modern environment," Wildchild. I'm in an old farmhouse with a septic tank and well water.

In January 2011 my husband had a bad reaction to a prescription. He had hallucinations. I gsthered up all the medications in our medicine chest, about 30 bottles, and brought them to our nearest pharmacy (not a chain like CVS or Riteaid) and they disposed of them. I recently heard you should never flush meds as they can get into ground water and wells. This could harm both wildlife and humans.

Wildchild, with respect, you are giving out bogus info. You make it sound as if the only way meds get into the drinking water is through the livestock and illegal drug labs. Chemicals from the meds DO pass through filters used in our treatment plants. I imagine the people who developed these systems did not look ahead to the day when we would be awash in pharmaceuticals.

Susan, I know that landfill liners leak, but I think it is your best of the options you have.
What are you leaning toward?

http://www.usnews.com/science/articles/2009/04/19/tons-of-released-drugs-taint-us-water

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Birth-control-may-be-harming-state-s-salmon-1116254.php

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090118200636.htm

http://www.bu.edu/sjmag/scimag2005/features/drugsinwater.htm

I too have a septic system and would never flush old meds into it.
Why not go to your local police station, county offices, etc and use their bathroom to flush your meds!
They do have the "yellow jug" here in Michigan which is a good thing!

LOL Kathyg, I love your suggestion!

Jenn, thanks for the links. It's amazing this issue didn't come to light decades ago. But then pharmaceuticals have never been as BIG as they are now.

Gardenspice, I was in town today and talked to a friend about this. She suggested I call a certain pharmacy--a small, independent pharmacy with a good staff. So I'll so that. And I'll also call the vet, as suggested above. If I get nowhere with these, I'm leaning toward putting the pills back on a high shelf in their childproof bottles and practicing some activism in my community to get this issue dealt with.