Information About:
Medications
Prescription and over-the-counter medications come in forms including
- Pills, capsules, caplets, and powders
- Liquid medications
- Aerosols and inhalers
- Blister packs
- Creams, ointments, gels, and patches
- Ampoules, vials, and IV bags
Keep each medication in its original container.
Return chemotherapy medications to your health care provider.
Do not flush expired or unwanted prescription or over-the-counter medications down the toilet or pour them down the drain. Do not dispose of medications in a septic system.
Prescription pills: Use a marker to cross out your name on prescription labels on medicine containers. Keep each medication in its original container or packaging. Place medication that is no longer in its original container in a clear plastic bag.
Take expired or unwanted prescription pills, capsules, caplets, and tablets to a Prescription Drug Take-Back site. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office is a take-back site. Your municipal police department may also be a partner in this program. Visit the Prescription Drug Take-Back website for details. You may also want to visit your municipal website or phone the nonemergency number for the police department for details.
Periodically, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) offers a National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Visit Got Drugs? on the DEA website for dates, participating locations, and acceptable forms of medications.
All other medications: For disposal instructions, refer to Managing unwanted medications on the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency website.
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