We’ve all been there — you reach for a medication and realise it’s a few months (or a few years!) out of date. It’s common to for medications to have expired before we finish them, and learning how to dispose of them safely is important for your health and those who live with you.
Expired medications lose their effectiveness and, in some cases, can be harmful if they’re too far out of date. Keeping them around also increases the risk of accidental ingestion, especially by children or pets, and may encourage self-medicating without proper guidance. It’s also not as simple as just tossing old medications in the bin or flushing them down the toilet. Many medications contain chemicals that don’t break down easily and can seep into soil or waterways, affecting our flora and fauna.
Today, many pharmacies in Australia offer a free medication take-back service where you can drop off unwanted or expired medications. This is the safest option, as pharmacies are equipped to dispose of them correctly. Just collect up any expired medications (cream or topical forms are fine too) and bring them to your local pharmacy (our in-person Farma Pharmacy in Brisbane will likely offer this feature in future!).
Some local councils organise “chemical clean-out” days where residents can safely dispose of hazardous waste, including medications. This won’t apply to all council regions, so we encourage you to check with your council for scheduled events near you.
If the above options aren’t a good fit for you and you need to dispose of expired medication at home, no worries. First, remove labels with personal information from bottles or tubes to protect your medical privacy. Blend up tablets with other undesirable substances (if you have a litter box at home, this is a good start!) and seal them up in a waste bag. For medications in liquid form, wrap the bottles in some kind of absorbative material to avoid leaking that could end up on a counter or a communal space. It’s all about making the medication itself less accessible to others!
Now that you’re back on track, make a habit to review your medicine cabinet every few months to check if you’ve got any expired medications creeping back in, and keep your active medication in its correct container in a safe, cool and dry place out of reach of pets and kids.
Disclaimer: This blog provides general information and should not be taken as medical or legal advice. Always consult your healthcare provider for personalised guidance.