How to dispose of expired or unused medications
Find your nearest take-back kiosk
Type your ZIP at /check for the verified nearest pharmacy take-back kiosk + your county HHW for sharps and other medications.
Pharmacy take-back kiosks (best option)
CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, and many independent pharmacies operate DEA-registered medication take-back kiosks. Drop unused prescription and over-the-counter pills, capsules, ointments, and patches into the locked kiosk — no questions asked, no prescription verification, no fees. Empty plastic prescription bottles can go in regular recycling (scratch out the label).
Use the DEA's official locator at apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov to find the nearest kiosk.
DEA National Drug Take-Back Day
The DEA hosts two National Drug Take-Back Days per year (typically the last Saturday of April and October). Police departments, pharmacies, and community sites accept any medication free, no questions asked. Look up the next event at deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback.
At-home disposal (when no kiosk is reachable)
FDA's recommended at-home method: remove pills from their container, mix with an unappealing substance (used coffee grounds, dirt, or kitty litter), seal in a plastic bag, and put in regular household trash. Cross out personal info on the prescription label before recycling the empty bottle.
FDA Flush List (a narrow exception)
The FDA maintains a short Flush List of high-risk medications where the danger of accidental ingestion or diversion outweighs the small environmental cost of flushing. The list is mostly opioid pain medications: fentanyl patches, oxycodone, methadone, buprenorphine. Flush only those; everything else uses take-back or at-home disposal. Current list at fda.gov drug disposal flush list.
Sharps + EpiPens (different rules)
Used needles, syringes, lancets, and EpiPens are sharps — they need a puncture-resistant container and a sharps drop-off channel, not a pharmacy pill kiosk. See the full sharps disposal guide for FDA-approved containers + drop-off locations.
Frequently asked
Can I flush expired pills down the toilet?
Not unless the medication is on the FDA Flush List (mainly opioids like fentanyl, oxycodone, methadone, buprenorphine). For everything else, flushing pollutes drinking water and is the worst option. Use a pharmacy take-back kiosk or the at-home coffee-grounds method instead.
What do you do with expired antibiotics?
Drop them in a pharmacy take-back kiosk (CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid). Antibiotics in landfill leachate contribute to antibiotic resistance, and they should never be flushed. If no kiosk is nearby, mix the pills with coffee grounds in a sealed bag and put in regular trash.
Can I throw old prescription bottles in recycling?
Yes — empty plastic prescription bottles (orange amber) are #5 polypropylene plastic and accepted in most curbside recycling. Scratch out the label or remove it first to protect your personal info. Childproof caps are also #5 polypropylene.
Where can I dispose of liquid medications?
DEA-registered pharmacy take-back kiosks accept liquid medications (cough syrup, oral suspensions). For at-home disposal, mix the liquid with coffee grounds or kitty litter, seal in a plastic bag, and trash. Never pour down the drain.
What about expired EpiPens or insulin pens?
Used pens with needles are sharps — they need a puncture-resistant container (free at most pharmacies). Drop the sealed container at a sharps collection site (pharmacy, hospital, county HHW). NEVER drop pens or needles in a regular pharmacy pill take-back kiosk.
Are over-the-counter (OTC) medications accepted at pharmacy take-back?
Yes — most DEA-registered take-back kiosks accept both prescription and OTC medications. Aspirin, ibuprofen, allergy meds, cold meds, vitamins, and supplements all qualify. The kiosk doesn't distinguish — anything in pill, capsule, or patch form goes in.