Disposal of Unwanted Medicines

If you have out of date or unwanted medicines, both prescription or over the counter drugs, don’t bin them or flush them. You can take your unwanted or out of date medicines back to most pharmacies for safe disposal in the UK, it does not have to be the pharmacy that provides your medicines. 

Each year, enormous quantities of unused and expired medications are dumped into bins or flushed down toilets and sinks. The effects on the environment and human health are unclear but evidence is pointing to the presence of chemicals from prescriptions and over-the-counter medications in soil, drinking water and the surrounding environment. Just as proper medication administration is important, so is safe and cautious disposal. 

How to help 

– Please let your GP or Pharmacist know if you’ve stopped taking any of your medicines 
– Check what medicines you still have at home before re-ordering 
– Discuss your medication with your GP or Pharmacist on a regular basis 
– Think carefully before ticking all the boxes on your repeat prescription forms and only tick those you really need 
– If you don’t need the medicine please don’t order it 
– If you need to go into hospital, please remember to take all your medicines with you in a clearly marked bag 

Unused Medicines Cannot Be Recycled 

Even if you have never opened them, once medicines have left the Pharmacy, they cannot be recycled or used by anyone else. You can drop them off to most pharmacies or post your unused medicines to our pharmacy for safe disposal. NEVER dispose of your unused or unwanted medicines down the toilet. 
If you need any more information please contact us.