Disposing of Medication

There are many situations in which there will be “left-over” medication. The medication may be out of date or discontinued. Perhaps the dosage was changed, requiring a different size dosage form. The consumer may have  moved to another facility or group home, leaving medications behind. Whatever the reason, the  medication must be disposed of properly. A medication should never be kept just  in case it is restarted. Medications should never be used for other consumers. These things tend to lead to medication errors. 

The best way to dispose of unneeded medications is to return it to the pharmacy, however many pharmacies do not offer this service. Also, note that  they cannot reuse the medication, so don’t expect a refund. Your facility should  have a policy in place stating the proper disposal of left-over medications which has been approved by a nurse and a pharmacist. Any medication that is  disposed of will need to be documented properly. Therefore having a  documentation form that includes all the necessary information including signatures of the person disposing of the medication and a witness is important.

Never flush medications down the toilet or down a drain. A red sharps container may be used for medication disposal. Tablets should be crushed so that there is no risk of them being taken by anyone.

Click this link for DADS Texas disposing regulations.

Where to Dispose of Medication

City of Fort Worth


FDA


U.S. Food and Drug


DisposeMyMeds Locator


Tarrant Cares


Earth911


Drug Dropbox Program


CVS, disposing meds






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