How do you dispose of liquid antibiotics?

[TwinFoxes]

DD had two courses of different antibiotics recently, and each time there has been a fairly significant amount left over. Putting it down the drain seems bad, but what else can I do with it? Is this one of those situations where there's no good option? Thanks.

[artvandalay]

DD had two courses of different antibiotics recently, and each time there has been a fairly significant amount left over. Putting it down the drain seems bad, but what else can I do with it? Is this one of those situations where there's no good option? Thanks.

I've read you should just toss them in the garbage so they don't wind up in the water supply. That's what we do.

I think I also read once that the most common medication found in tap water is antidepressants and antibiotics.

[writermama]

This came up recently with the many, many recalls of children's medications.

Your best choice is to find a local pharmacy that runs a medication disposal program. If you can't find one in your area, then you should seal it in a container and mix it with kitty litter, coffee grounds, or sawdust -- something that absorbs the liquid as much as possible while also making it unappetizing for curious kids or animals.

More instructions at link, here:
http://drugs.about.com/od/medicationsafety/f/drug_disposal.htm

[bubbaray]

Your best choice is to find a local pharmacy that runs a medication disposal program.


:yeahthat: -- for any medication

[eagle]

:yeahthat: -- for any medication

yes! please dont put it down the drain.

[TwinFoxes]

When my FIL died a couple of years ago, the hospice came out and flushed his meds down the toilet. I though that was so odd. Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look into a pharmacy in the area. If I can't find one, we have plenty of coffee grounds.

[caheinz]

You might want to check with your local police department. I know it seems like an odd place for it, but around here, they collect old medications (no matter what kind or reason) for proper disposal. I have a bag of expired pills and a couple of old liquid meds in my office that I'll take over to the campus police later today.

[Binkandabee]

I usually just toss them in the garbage in the container they came in. They are childproof already...so I don't think any critters or kids are going to be able to get inside.

Since we don't put our trash out until the morning we have trash service, I really don't worry about it much. I've never flushed them down the drain or the toilet, though. Never occurred to me to do that actually.

[bubbaray]

Putting medication in the trash means they end up somewhere -- landfill usually or incinerated.

[catsnkid]

I have a septic tank/well. I have put some antibiotics down the drain. As for pills, they go in our trash, no longer do the flush thing for that.

[MaiseyDog]

Here's the recommendations we give out patients http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/asp/topics.asp?txtTopicID=1&txtSubTopicID=0&lstLanguage#P Scroll down to "Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs"

Here is the list of meds that the FDA recommends SHOULD be flushed http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/EnsuringSafeUseofMedicine/SafeDisposalofMedicines/ucm186187.htm

[kcimato]

When my dad died in Oct we took his medicine for Chronic Leukemia back to the Pharmacy. They said just keep it in the container wrap in newspaper and throw it in the trash.