The best way to dispose of most types* of unused or expired medicines (both prescription and over-the-counter) is to immediately use a take-back option.

• Drop off the medicine at a drug take-back location, or

• Mail your expired or unused medicines using a pre-paid drug mail-back envelope.

If these options are not readily available, follow these guidelines:

• If your medicine is on the FDA flush list, your next best option is to immediately flush these potentially dangerous medicines down the toilet.

• If your medicine is not on the flush list, you should follow these instructions to discard the medicine in your trash at home.

*Check out the Medication Disposal Q&A for more information including how to dispose of needles and syringes. Some products with uncommon dosage forms (e.g., sprays, lozenges) have product-specific disposal instructions. Review the instructions that came with your prescription or contact your health care professional (e.g., pharmacist, doctor) to find out how to properly dispose of these medicines.