MEDICATION DISPOSAL

Proper disposal of your unused medications, both prescription and otherwise, is important. Throwing them in the trash could result in small children or pets getting into them, and landfill disposal ultimately allows them to leach into our water supply. Similarly, flushing medications down the toilet, while once recommended, can be toxic to wildlife and ultimately to all of us who depend on clean water.

Fortunately there’s a better way: Put all your pills together in a Ziploc bag, then recycle or throw away the bottles separately after blacking out your personal information. Then drop the Ziploc bag at a local pharmacy, hospital, clinic or police department that has special collection bins.

These collection sites will accept prescription and over the counter medications, including controlled substances like opiates (Vicodin, Percocet), benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax), and stimulants (Ritalin, Adderall). They’ll also take liquid medications in the original non-leak bottle, unused medication patches, unused injection cartridges such as EpiPens or insulin, unused inhalers such as those used for asthma, medication samples, ointments, vitamins, and pet medications.

They won’t accept used patches, used injection cartridges, used inhaler canisters or the plastic mouthpieces, marijuana, illegal drugs, needles/syringes, medical tools or supplies, chemotherapy drugs, thermometers, empty containers, and any bloody or infectious waste.

The site closest to our office is the Walgreens at Colorado and Mississippi.

For the full list of medication disposal locations check here:

https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/medication-take-back-locations-list

The information posted on this blog and website are for general information only and should never be relied on as specific medical advice for an individual reader.  No financial relationship exists between us and any recommended products or persons mentioned. All material contained here is the property of the Sheldon Sowell Center for Health, PC, and cannot be copied, reprinted, or linked to without our express permission.