Prescription drug disposal: Products available for home use

Unused medications in the home are often improperly stored and may lead to unintentional harm, misuse, and diversion. Single-use disposal systems products allow consumers to safely inactivate unused medication and provide an environmentally friendly alternative to flushing medication down the toilet or discarding in the trash. The objective of this commentary was to review current medication disposal options and inform pharmacists of new products that may be used by patients to dispose of medications in the home setting.

Current recommendations on medication disposal from U.S. regulatory agencies (e.g., the Environmental Protection Agency) were reviewed and summarized comparatively. Information on the mechanism of action, price, and method of use of 8 new single-use disposal systems suitable for outpatient use were taken from each product manufacturer's website.

Eight single-use disposal systems were identified. Seven products used chemical deactivation to render medication safe for disposal, and 1 product allowed consumers to mail medication to a central processing facility for incineration. Products ranged in size from 2 oz to 1 gal, offering consumers the ability to dispose of anywhere from 60 to 3000 tablets per unit, respectively. Unit costs varied widely from $5 per single-use pouch to $190 for a 40-gal box intended for incineration.

Pharmacists and consumers must consider cost, effectiveness, and environmental impact when recommending and selecting products for medication disposal at home. More research is needed to understand the cost-effectiveness of each disposal system and to identify strategies to encourage uptake by health systems and use by consumers. Including content on home medication disposal in pharmacist-continuing education activities and raising workforce awareness of these products are critical to improving public safety.