Medication Take-Back Program

Frequently Asked Questions   

1.  When will the Medicines Take-Back pilot start?

The pilot is scheduled to started in November 2006 at select pharmacy locations in Washington. 

2.  How long will the take-back pilot program go on? 

This pilot program will continue until late 2008, pending ongoing funding.   

3. What medicines will be accepted in the pilot program?

Select pharmacies will accept:

Medication: prescription and over-the counter
Medication samples
Veterinary medications
Vitamins
Medicated ointments and lotion
Inhalers
Liquid medication in glass or leak-proof containers

The following will not be accepted:

Needles 
Thermometers 
Bloody or infectious waste 
Personal care products 
Controlled substances (narcotics) 
Hydrogen peroxide 
Empty containers 
Business waste

4.  What are controlled substances?

A controlled substance is a drug or chemical substance whose possession and use are regulated under the Controlled Substances Act. 

The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) is the legal basis by which the manufacture, importation, possession, and distribution of certain drugs are regulated by the federal government of the United States.

The legislation created five Schedules (classifications), with varying qualifications for a drug to be included in each. Classification decisions are required to be made on the criteria of potential for abuse, accepted medical use in the United States, and potential for addiction.

5.  What should I do with my narcotics (controlled substances)?

We would like the pilot program to eventually accept controlled substances.  Currently the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Controlled Substance Act does not allow the exchange of controlled substances from an end-user to any other individual or pharmacy.  The Drug Enforcement Administration is aware of the issues and considering new approaches. 

We recommend that you place any narcotic (controlled substance) into a sealable plastic bag and place it in another opaque (dark plastic) bag and wrap it in tape, then place it into the garbage away from kids or pets. To prevent contaminating our water supply or the environment, do not flush medications down the drain. 

6.  Where will the drugs collected in this program be disposed of?

For now, they will be incinerated at a Hazardous Waste Incinerator. Currently there are no commercially available disposal methods that are completely without environmental concerns. WCRC would like to explore alternatives to what’s currently available to work towards disposal that will meet the regulatory needs of the program and be more environmentally protective.

7.  If I don’t have a nearby pharmacy that I can take my drugs to, what should I do? 

For chemotherapy drugs, contact your prescribing medical office to see if they will accept the drug.  Until there is a participating pharmacy nearby, we recommend that you place all other drugs into a sealable plastic bag and place it in another opaque (dark plastic) bag and wrap it in tape, then place it into the garbage away from kids or pets.  To prevent contaminating our water supply or the environment, do not flush medications down the drain.   

8.  Why can’t businesses use the program? 

Businesses are required to manage any waste under different state and federal regulations which require them to count, designate, and separately manage any business-generated hazardous waste.  For more information about these requirements for businesses with pharmaceutical waste, visit www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/hwtr/pharmaceuticals.  Household waste is exempt from these regulations, though individual counties may not allow hazardous waste into their solid waste systems.

9.  Are medicines really hazardous waste?

Some pharmaceuticals have ingredients with characteristics that cause them to ‘designate’ as hazardous waste when disposed.  To designate means to either be a federally regulated (under RCRA – Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) or state regulated hazardous waste (under the Dangerous Waste Regulations WAC 173-303).  Federally regulated hazardous wastes include lists of certain discarded chemical products or manufacturing/industrial processes or wastes with hazardous characteristics (ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity or toxicity).  Washington State has additional criteria for toxicity and persistence that make some pharmaceuticals ‘designate.’