Turn in old medications

Turn in old medicine?

Do you have a medicine left over that you no longer need, or is the medicine past its expiration date? Don't throw that away in the trash or flush it down the sink or toilet. That's bad for the environment. Turn it in to your pharmacy or to the small chemical waste (environmental waste).

Why is it best to turn in leftover medications to your pharmacy?

Don't flush your old medications down the sink or toilet. They can then end up in the (ground) water. Drug residues also affect the plants and animals that live in the water. Painkillers, for example, damage the tissues of fish. In addition, our water companies must remove certain residual medications from drinking water, which costs money and can be a complicated process. Also, don't throw unused medications in the trash. Especially not when there are small children or pets around who can take it out again.

How to hand in the medicine waste?

• You bring your medicines to your pharmacy free of charge or hand them in at the municipality's pickup line. Boxes: only the strips. The cardboard boxes and leaflets can go in the waste paper. Remove the labels from the boxes to protect your privacy.
• Bottles and tubes: again, remove the label for privacy reasons. Glass without drug residues can go in the bottle bank. The same goes for plastic.
• Needles: always put used needles in a needle container. You can get a needle container for free or for a small fee from your pharmacy.

Reuse old medicine?

You may be wondering: can't someone else use my old medicine? No, they can't. Once a medicine leaves the pharmacy, the pharmacist can no longer guarantee that the medicine was stored properly. And so the pharmacist cannot be sure if it is still safe for the next user. Fortunately, there are already studies underway to reuse very expensive medications after a detailed check. There are also initiatives to reuse devices and give them out for free.