Can I Flush Pills and Liquid Medication?

How to Safely Dispose of Unwanted or Expired Medicine

Jul 10, 2009 Mia Carter

Pills and other forms of medication should never be flushed down the toilet. Flushing pills and liquid medication can harm the environment.

Wondering how to dispose of pills and other medicines?

Flushing medication down the toilet is an easy way to dispose of expired and leftover pills or liquid medicine. But what many don't realize is that this method of medicine disposal is potentially harmful to the environment.

The Dangers of Flushing Pills Down the Toilet

According to the Homeowner's Guide to Disposal of Unwanted Medications, flushing pills and other forms of medication down the toilet "can cause contamination to [the] aquatic environment because wastewater treatment systems are not designed to remove many of these medications."

Non-coastal areas are also at risk if chemicals or medications are flushed down the toilet, since the chemicals can work their way into ground water supply, ultimately contaminating streams, rivers and lakes.

Residents with a septic system and leach field are apt to see adverse environmental effects closer to home if they flush pills and other forms of medication down the toilet. As the water seeps out of the septic tank and into the leach field, the contaminated water can taint the soil and underground aquifers. Nearby wells will also be at risk of contamination from flushed medicines and chemicals.

Alternatives for Safe Disposal of Pills and Liquid Medications

Instead of flushing medication down the toilet or pouring liquid medicines down the drain, the Homeowner's Guide to Disposal of Unwanted Medications recommends that the following method to safely dispose of pills and liquid medicines – over-the-counter and prescription – without harming the environment.

1. Begin by using an indelible marker to black out personal information from prescription bottles. The name of the medication should remain viewable in case of accidental ingestion.
2. For pills, add warm water or carbonated soda. This will dissolve the pills.
3. Once pills are dissolved (or in the case of liquid medication) add an inedible powder like dirt or kitty litter.
4. Secure the lid and use duct tape to wrap the liquid or pill bottle.
5. Place the bottle of medicine inside a durable, opaque container. A detergent bottle, bleach bottle or coffee can will work well for this purpose.
6. Use duct tape to seal the opaque container with the medicine or pill bottle sealed inside.
7. Place the container at the bottom of a trash can and place the trash can curbside at the next trash collection. Placing the container at the bottom of the trash can will make it less visible to humans, and less accessible to animals.

Notably, caution should be taken to prevent accidental placement of the container inside the recycling bin. The trash can containing the medication should also be kept inside a garage or shed until right before curbside trash collection to prevent animals from accessing the container.

While flushing pills down the toilet may seem like an easy, safe way to get rid of expired or leftover medication, it poses very serious dangers to the environment and wildlife. Proper disposal of liquid medicines and pills will protect animals and humans alike.

Another option for those wondering how to dispose of pills and liquid medicines? Many cities and towns hold household hazardous waste collection events once or twice per year. Once the unwanted pills are dissolved and the liquid is combined with an inedible substance like kitty litter or dirt, the unwanted medication bottle can be sealed, taped closed and brought to the next hazardous waste collection event.

How to Identify Pills and Capsules

When cleaning out the medicine cabinet, one may encounter a stray pill or faded label on a prescription pill bottle.

Before handling pills, it's best to determine what type of pill one has because some medications can pose serious dangers if handled by women, especially pregnant women. Handling pills also increases the risk that the medication could be accidentally ingested by a child or pet, so it's best to identify the prescription pill beforehand.

So how do you identify pills and capsules? Bringing the pill to the pharmacy is one way to identify a prescription pill. Another method involves using a pill identification website, which identifies the type of pill and even the dosage using the pill shape, color and number/letter code imprinted on the medication.

To learn more about how to identify a medication, read How to Identify Pills: Find Out What Medication You Have Using Pill Identification Websites.

Source: Florida Department of Environmental Protection's publication Homeowner's Guide to Disposal of Unwanted Medications.

The copyright of the article Can I Flush Pills and Liquid Medication? in General Medicine is owned by Mia Carter. Permission to republish Can I Flush Pills and Liquid Medication? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

How to Dispose of Pills - Don't Flush Medicine!

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