It is important to properly dispose of unused prescription medications and other pharmaceutical waste, to ensure that it does not end up in the hands of kids, on the streets, or in our waterways.
MEDICATION DISPOSAL
What should you do with unwanted medications?
Ask your pharmacists if they are taking back pharmaceuticals.
Costco and Kaiser pharmacies sell prepaid envelopes for customers to send unwanted medicines to a disposal facility.
A statewide take-back system is in development. In the meantime, Solano County residents should save medicines for local pharmaceutical drop-off events. For information, log onto recycle.solanocounty.com or call your recycling coordinator.
For Vallejo Residents only:
medications can be dropped off at
Vallejo Police Station
111 Amador Street, Vallejo
707 648-5346 Mon-Thur, 9:30am-5pm
Napa-Vallejo HHW Collection Facility
889A Devlin Rd, American Canyon
707 258-9018 Fri & Sat, 9am-4pm
Determine if your pharmaceutical waste is a controlled
(doctor prescribed) or non-controlled substance (over-the-counter). Log onto the U.S. Dept. of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration’s website for lists of controlled substances.
Non-controlled substances that are not expired can be sent directly to World Medical Relief for use in their prescription program for seniors and overseas medical missions:
World Medical Relief
11745 Rosa Parks Blvd.,
Detroit, MI 58206
www.worldmedicalrelief.org
AS A LAST RESORT
pharmaceuticals can be put in the trash. Please use the following guidelines:
Remove all personal information from all containers.
LIQUIDS Empty liquid medication onto absorbent paper towels or rags and put in the trash.
PROPELLANT INHALER Empty container by expelling all propellant. Put the empty cylinder in trash.
PILLS Crush, break, or dampen pills. Mix with kitty litter or used coffee grounds to make unusable.
Sharps waste must be transported to a collection center in an approved sharps container. Home-generated sharps waste includes hypodermic needles, syringes and lancets that are used for medical purposes.
Sharps Drop Off
Place home-generated sharps waste in biohazard containers. Biohazard containers are available for purchase at local pharmacies and some office supply stores. Contact your health care provider, local pharmacies, hospitals or clinics to ask if they offer a collection program.
Drop-Off Locations:
Mail-Back Service:
A list of sharps mail-back services is available from California’s Department of Public Health www.cdph.ca.gov Search “Mail-back Sharps” for direct link to the following companies. Their toll free numbers are listed here.