Unused Opioid Disposal Rules You Should Know

Here’s what to do with any opioids that are unused but must be discarded.

Disposing of unused drugs is one of the most important practices to follow today. Since not all medications and drugs are the same, it is critical that proper disposal methods are used to prevent harm to people or the environment. When it comes to opioids, such as morphine, oxycodone or hydrocodone, there are very specific steps that must be followed to get rid of them.

Here’s a quick refresher of what to do with any opioids that are unused and are being discarded.

First, you should make it a regular practice in your home to rid the medicine cabinets and drawers of any unused opioids or prescription medications that could end up in the wrong hands. There is a giant opioid abuse epidemic happening today and any steps you can take to get drugs off the street and out of the hands of children or those with addiction issues, is critical.

Next, be sure to check with your local area to see if there are any drug take-back programs where you can drop off these unused medications for proper disposal. These DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) events are the best option for safely removing these drugs from the public so they are not irresponsibly consumed.

If there aren’t any events happening in your area and you need to discard of them on your own, you’ll want to follow the proper steps.

Since the harm that could be caused by many opioids far outweighs other risks, the FDA publishes a list of “flushable” medications and drugs that are okay to flush. You may also find the information in the leaflets of information that came with the medication.

According to the FDA, all expired, unwanted, or unused medicines on the flush list (which includes a number of opioids) should be sent down the sink or toilet immediately to help prevent any potential dangers the drugs present to people and pets in the home. 

A number of other unused medications can be added to regular home refuse as long as they are mixed in with another matter like coffee grounds or cat litter to make the drugs unappealing for consumption. 

Finally, Red Bags is devoted to helping business customers with medical waste disposal services that make the process of compliance and safety easy to achieve. Gain peace of mind. Contact us today!

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