Medication & Prescription Disposal

Disposal of Unused Medicines and Prescription Pharmaceuticals

Accumulation of unused or expired medicines are a common occurrence in the home. It is good practice to dispose of expired prescriptions or over the counter drugs in order to keep the household safe. If a take-back option is not available, almost all medicines can be thrown into your household trash. These include prescription and 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 resealable zipper storage bag, empty can or other container) to prevent the drug from leaking or spilling out.
• Throw the container in the trash at home. Scratch out all your personal information on the empty medicine packaging to protect your identity and privacy. Throw the packaging away.
  

Never wash these medicines down the drain or flush them down the toilet!

As an alternative to home disposal, the Suffolk County Police Department has instituted Operation Medicine Cabinet which allows residents to clean out their medicine cabinet and safely dispose of expired or unwanted pharmaceuticals, keeping our seniors, kids, pets and the environment safe.

• Please place medications in a plastic bag prior to disposal

• Needles and liquid medications will not be accepted. Liquid medicines should be mixed with coffee grounds and disposed of in regular garbage. Needles and other household sharps should be disposed of using the recommended method

• Drug drop-off is completely anonymous and is available at each SCPD precinct, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For more information on this program call the Suffolk County Police Community Outreach Bureau at 631-852-6109.

The most convenient location for Huntington residents is the Second Precinct at 1071 Park Avenue, Huntington Station, NY 11746.