When you find an expired prescription in your medicine cabinet your first instinct may be to flush it down the toilet. In the past this was recommended to make sure the medications did not wind up in the wrong hands. But traditional wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove prescription medications from the water so they pass through the plants and enter our waterways. The federal government has released guidelines on the proper disposal of prescription medications.



Following these small steps can make a huge impact on safeguarding the environment:

Take unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers and throw them in the trash.

Mixing prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, such as sawdust or used coffee grounds or kitty litter, and putting them in impermeable, non-descript containers, such as empty cans or sealable bags, will further ensure the drugs are not diverted.

Flush prescription drugs down the toilet only if the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs doing so.

If available, take advantage of community pharmaceutical take-back programs that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal. Some communities have pharmaceutical take-back programs or community solid-waste programs that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for proper disposal. Where these exist, they are a good way to dispose of unused pharmaceuticals.

Contact your county recycling coordinator or waste management department to find out if any take-back programs are available in your area.


For the complete federal guidelines for the proper disposal of prescription medications, please visit: White House Drug Policy Publications



Source Water Protection
The goal of source water protection is preventing contaminants from entering waterways that serve as our drinking water sources. Protecting our source water from pollutants not only protects our drinking water supplies, but it also makes economic sense, as it can be extremely costly to remove pollutants from drinking water sources through complex treatments. Protecting our source water also helps protect the natural environment by providing a healthy habitat for countless species.


For more information
Matt Bixler- matt.bixler@ssmgroup.com