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  • About HHS
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  1. Home
  2. National Opioids Crisis: Help and Resources
  3. Prevention
  4. How to Safely Dispose of Drugs
  • National Opioids Crisis: Help and Resources
    • Prevention
      • What are Opioids?
      • How to Safely Dispose of Drugs
      • Pain Management Best Practices Report
      • Safe Opioid Prescribing
      • Prevention Programs & Tools
    • Treatment
      • How to Find Opioid Treatment Programs?
      • Guide for Dosage Reduction
      • How Do Medications Treat Opioid Addiction?
      • Does Insurance Cover Treatment for Opioid Overdose?
      • How to Respond to an Opioid Overdose
      • What Are Drug Courts?
      • Resources for Opioid Treatment Providers
    • Recovery
      • What is Recovery?
      • Recovery Resources & Tools
    • Statistics, Facts, and Strategy Response
      • Opioid Facts and Statistics
      • HHS Overdose Prevention Strategy Response

How to Safely Dispose of Drugs

  • You can dispose of unneeded medicines through a drug take back program — or you can do it at home.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands. The National Prescription Drug Take Back Day addresses a crucial public safety and public health issue.

Find a Year-Round Drug Disposal Location
DEA provides a tool for locating drug disposal locations near you.

Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know
Although some medications are safe to throw away at home, learn how to properly dispose of your expired prescriptions.

  • Where and How to Dispose of Unused Medicines
  • How to Properly Dispose of Your Unused Medicines

Storing Medication Away from Children
Tips for finding the best place to store medicines up and away and out of sight of young children.

Need Help?

Call the national help line

1-800-662-4357

Find treatment near you

FindTreatment.gov >>

Content created by Digital Communications Division (DCD)
Content last reviewed December 16, 2022
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