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Disposing of Left Over Medication
updated: Apr 17, 2012, 8:48 AM

By Edhat Subscriber

I have some left over medication (pills). Does anyone know how to responsibly dispose of them?

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 272125	2012-04-17 08:51 AM
Trash is all I know. I keep them in the bottles and put in the trash. I figure that's better than flushing down the toilet and having all that go into the water. Pharmacies may take them and trash them for you.
COMMENT 272127	2012-04-17 08:53 AM
They can be disposed of at the haz mat site at UCSB.
AQUAHOLIC	2012-04-17 08:56 AM
http://www.sbsheriff.org/pr/01281001.html
PURPLERIDER	2012-04-17 08:57 AM
Try here: Safety Kleen Address: 5310 Overpass Road Santa Barbara, CA Phone: (805) 967-1448 Website: www.safety-kleen.com/ http://www.lessismore.org/locations/420-safety-kleen
COMMENT 272136	2012-04-17 09:01 AM
The CHP office at the Goleta Marketplace has a recycle deposit box for old, unneeded or surplus medication. I believe you can recycle the actual bottle there, too.
COMMENT 272139	2012-04-17 09:05 AM
As someone mentioned, the CHP office in the Camino Real Marketplace. That office is near the movie theaters -- to the left, as you are facing the theaters. There is a mailbox-like deposit box in there.
COMMENT 272142	2012-04-17 09:16 AM
give the all to meeeeee.....all z pills for meeeee
COMMENT 272148	2012-04-17 09:22 AM
Gee, I wonder sometimes if these Q&A posts are for real or if someone in the edhat community plants these moral dilemmas to raise awareness. Not that it's a bad idea but c'mon at times it is quite obvious these are not true randoms.
COMMENT 272149	2012-04-17 09:24 AM
I think it’s actually a “Sherriff’s sub-station” in the Camino Real Marketplace, that said, they do have a disposal box right in front of it. When I started caring for my father I found that he literally had over a hundred bottles of old prescription medications. I dropped them all off there – no questions asked – and felt really good about it.
COMMENT 272151	2012-04-17 09:29 AM
Put water in the prescription bottle so they dissolve, then put into a sandwich baggy full of dirt to absorb it and throw it in the trash.
COMMENT 272152P	2012-04-17 09:33 AM
The best thing about the disposal box at Camino Real Marketplace is that it's open 24-hours. I just collect things at home and go drop it off at my leisure.
COMMENT 272156	2012-04-17 09:41 AM
I assume all pharmacies would take them, but I know for a fact that Caldwells (corner of Pueblo & Bath, across from the hospital) will - I just saw a sign saying so on their front window a few days ago.
COMMENT 272158P	2012-04-17 09:42 AM
#136, I did not know this, that's great. Thanks.
COMMENT 272180	2012-04-17 10:26 AM
Take them back to the pharmacy. They will dispose of them properly. This includes OTC medications as well. Do not dispose of them in the trash. Water can leak into the bottle, and dissolve the pills, and then they will leach into the soil. Or the bottle can get broken. DO NOT flush the medication down the toilet.
COMMENT 272246P	2012-04-17 01:05 PM
@148: I am not the OP on this question, but I can tell you that this is NOT a bogus question. There are lots of outdated over the counter and prescription meds out there that people improperly dispose of all the time. If we can get the word out on how to do it without spreading toxic crud around, then these kinds of questions won't be needed. My husband and I have a big bag full of extra stuff like this from when my mom died and our own stuff from over the years. I am really appreciative to now know of the Sheriff's sub-station drop off because it was posted on Edhat!
COMMENT 272256	2012-04-17 01:16 PM
The Sheriff's main station on Calle Real also has the drop off box. They look like the mail or library book drop off boxes and are quite easy to drop off your prescription bottles/boxes. They then transport them for safe disposal. The other substations have them as well, look up 'Operation Medicine Cabinet'.
COMMENT 272318P	2012-04-17 04:13 PM
Yes, Sherriff's Station drop box at Calle Real. Very easy, near the transfer station. Directions: from Calle Real go up County Dump Road and make the first left. You'll see the deposit box out by the sidewalk Please don't put them in the trash-- just creates more toxic land fills.
COMMENT 272323	2012-04-17 04:31 PM
Wrap them tightly in single-use plastic grocery bags and toss in the garbage can. Yet another good use for those bags.
COMMENT 272353P	2012-04-17 05:54 PM
The pharmacies and drop off centers put the bottles in plastic bags and throw them in the trash. Don't bother taking them there just do it yourself. They have this service to keep people from flushing them and entering the ocean.
NEIGHBOR	2012-04-17 10:27 PM
Any idea about where in Lompoc one can drop off meds like at the Goleta substation?
COMMENT 272420	2012-04-18 07:29 AM
NEIGHBOR, All of the Sheriff's substations have the Operation: Medicine Cabinet drop boxes. You should use the one at the Lompoc Sheriff Station on Harris Grade at Burton Mesa.
ARCHIE	2012-04-18 07:53 AM
148: OP here. It was a real question. And thank you to all those who answered with suggestions.
TOTCH	2012-04-18 08:08 AM
Have you checked with a pharmacy?
COMMENT 272462	2012-04-18 08:41 AM
Please! DON'T THROW THEM IN THE TRASH OR FLUSH THEM! The consequences of those methods include drugs of all kinds ending up in our oceans and land, killing or affecting fish & other ocean wildlife (including essential ocean plant life) and our land environment/animals... which then travel through and harm people through the cycle of life. Please dispose properly! Unfortunately, in my experience some pharmacies charge for the service, but Sheriff's stations don't. Make the effort.
FLICKA	2012-04-18 09:15 AM
I worked for a woman who often had me take her meds to a doctors office, he belonged to "Doctors w/o Borders" and they would use the meds in 3rd World countries. Better than nothing at all!
MARK-SB	2012-04-18 10:11 AM
-462 You are most correct about reasons for proper disposal. In Carpinteria, drop box is by the Sheriff''s Office. Drive by the drop box and that's it...note: your prescription ID info on the label is also destroyed which is a good thing to preserve your security.
COMMENT 272521	2012-04-18 10:44 AM
I asked at Costo Pharmacy and they charge to dispose of them!

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