Medication Disposal Information
Your medicine is only for you. What is safe for you might be harmful for someone else. The best way to dispose of your expired, unwanted, or unused medicines is through a drug take back program—or you can do it at home if a location is not available to you. There are take back locations within the Corinth and Denton area that are available for medication disposal.
Public Controlled Substance Disposal Locations in the Lake Cities area:
- Hickory Creek Town Hall: 1075 Ronald Reagan Ave, Hickory Creek, Texas 75065
- CVS PHARMACY: 1101 FM 2181, Corinth, TX 76210
- CVS PHARMACY: 3200 Teasley Ln., Denton, TX 76210
- CVS PHARMACY: 7000 Justin Road, Lantana, TX 76226
- MEDICAL CITY DENTON: 3535 S I-35, Denton, TX 76210
How to Dispose of Medicines at Home
When a drug take back option is not easily available, there are two ways to dispose of medicines at home, depending on the drug.
Flushing medicines: Because some medicines could be especially harmful to others, they have specific directions to immediately flush them down the sink or toilet when they are no longer needed, when a take-back option is not readily available.
How will you know? Check the label or the patient information leaflet with your medicine. Or consult the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s list of medicines recommended for disposal by flushing when a take back option is not readily available. Remember, don’t flush your medicine unless it is on the flush list.
Disposing medicines in household trash: If a take back program is not available, almost all medicines, except those on the FDA flush list, can be thrown into your household trash. These include prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs in pills, liquids, drops, patches, and creams.
Follow these steps:
- Remove the drugs from their original containers and mix them with something undesirable, such as used coffee grounds, dirt, or cat litter. This makes the medicine less appealing to children and pets and unrecognizable to someone who might intentionally go through the trash looking for drugs.
- Put the mixture in something you can close (a re-sealable zipper storage bag, empty can, or other container) to prevent the drug from leaking or spilling out.
- Throw the container in the garbage.
- Scratch out all your personal information on the empty medicine packaging to protect your identity and privacy. Throw the packaging away.
- If you have a question about your medicine, ask your health care provider or pharmacist.
Flushing Drugs and the Water Supply
Some people wonder if it’s okay to flush certain medicines when a take back option is not easily available. There are concerns about the small levels of drugs that may be found in surface water, such as rivers and lakes, and in drinking water supplies. There are a select type of medication that can be flushed and the FDA flush list tells you which old, unwanted, expired, or unused medicines to immediately flush ONLY when take back options are not readily available. The FDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency take the concerns of flushing certain medicines in the environment seriously.
For more information:
- What to do when you no longer need your medicines, visit the FDA website.
- For a drug take back location visit the DEA website and enter your zip code or city.
