Chapter 3: Medication safety
Safe disposal of medications and supplies
I never knew there was so much to know about medicine!
Just as there are safe ways to store medications and medical supplies, there are also safe ways to dispose of them. Click the switch button below for some helpful suggestions and things to avoid.
Dispose of needles and sharps in proper sharps containers. (Ask your pharmacy about these.)
When handling medication patches, wear protective gloves. When disposing of a patch, fold it in half so that the adhesive side is stuck together. Dispose of it in a childproof and tamper-proof container until it can be taken to a pharmacy for safe disposal.
Take all unused medications to a pharmacy for safe disposal.
Do not flush unused medicines or supplies down the toilet or throw them in the garbage.
Do not give unused medicines to others.
Don’t keep “loose” medications. If possible, return them to the pharmacy in their original container.
Do not keep medications that are no longer being taken in the same place as current medications in use. Keep them in a different but safe spot until they can be taken to a pharmacy for safe disposal.
