How to recycle / dispose medicine

We encourage you to utilize DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative events.

You may donate or drop-off drugs at Prescription Drug Repository and Pharmacy Drop-off Locations approved by the Maryland Board of Pharmacy.

We accept medicine which is expired or no longer needed as trash

• in our curbside trash collections
• at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station

Special disposal as household hazardous waste is not necessary.

1. Place unwanted or expired medication into a sealable plastic bag or other empty container to prevent liquid medications from leaking out.
2. Mix with kitty litter, coffee grounds, or sawdust. (Liquid medications can be solidified using kitty litter or sawdust.)
3. Seal the bag and/or container.
4. Put the bag and/or container containing the medication into your regular household trash.
5. Remove the label with the patient's name from the original medicine vial or bottle.
6. Place the empty plastic vial or bottle into your blue recycling bin. Empty aerosol inhalers can be recycled in your recycling bin, too.

These municipalities have permanent drop-off sites:

• Chevy Chase Village Police Department Medication Drop Box
• City of Gaithersburg Prescription Medication Disposal
• City of Takoma Park Prescription Drug Take Back

Do not dispose of medicine by pouring it down the drain or into a toilet unless the label or patient instructions specifically advise this.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that a very small list of extremely powerful narcotic pain relievers and other controlled substances should be disposed of by flushing them down the toilet if these drugs cannot be disposed of through a drug take-back program. View current FDA list.

How to dispose of unused medicines - United States Food and Drug Administration