In the UK, we’re really lucky to have a comprehensive healthcare system that’s universal. While it’s paid for as part of our taxes, we never need to worry about getting the help we need if we fall ill or have an accident. There are few countries around the world that offer the same level of service to their citizens. As part of our NHS, we get access to free or fixed price medication via pharmacies.
Old medicine should be returned to pharmacies, especially if it originally was obtained via a prescription. Do not put medicines in the bin. Never take out of date medication, as it may not function as it should to help you and could even be harmful.
Can Old Medicine Go In The Bin?
You should never put medicines into the bin at home, as they should be securely dispose of. That means taking them to a pharmacy and dropping them into the medication bins. Sometimes these are behind the counter, so will need to be handed to the staff.
Is Old Medicine Safe To Take?
Medication will usually have a use by date just like you’d find on food packaging. While you’ll usually find it on the inner packaging, it’s a good idea to retain outer packaging too on medicines.
Never take medicine that is past its expiry date.
Can I Flush Medicine Down The Toilet?
Never flush medicines down the loo, as it will ultimately end up in the waste water, and in turn the sewage system. Sewage can contaminate the environment, so medicines must not go down the toilet, as they can harm animals or even get into the water system like rivers or lakes.
There was a similar answer in another article on the site relating to why you should never flush tampons down the toilet. The only things that should ever be flushed are the three P’s, poop, pee and paper (of the toilet tissue variety!).
Can Medication Packaging Go In The Bin?
Cardboard packaging from medicines can be recycled with other card in your normal recycling bin. It’s a good idea to remove the label with your personal information on though, and to shred it before it gets recycled to reduce the chance of identity theft.
Blister packs from tablets are not usually recyclable. Empty bottles can be recycled with glass bottles if they are empty, unless the noted in the information pamphlet supplied for the medicines say otherwise.
Should I Return Prescription Medicines?
You can return your unused medicines to pharmacies if they are no longer required, however they cannot be re-used for safety reasons.
Pharmacies have no way of knowing whether medication has been tampered with between being dispensed and being returned so it needs to be destroyed. By returning it to the pharmacy, you can be sure it will be disposed of responsibly and securely, so that it does not pose any risk to people, animals or the environment.
Where Can I Donate Unused Medication Near Me?
In most cases, unused medication is not suitable for donation in the UK. Prescriptions are intended for a specific named individual.
It is illegal to pass prescribed medicines to another person to take, regardless of whether or not you are selling them, or whether they live in the same house. Medicines obtained via a prescription must never be shared.
Medicines bought over the counter are less regulated, however you should always treat them with care, and ensure that information in the packaging is read before use.
How To Reduce Medicine Waste
A huge amount of medicine is wasted in the UK every year, with conservative estimates exceeding £300million according to Lloyds Pharmacy.
A big part of the problem is failing to monitor expiry dates, especially with items on repeat prescriptions. If you’re a regular beneficiary of such items, be sure to put the latest order at the back of the medicine cabinet and use the oldest ones as they reach the front.
Better still, check the dates of each item you’ve already got and compare it to your latest order. While the latest order will normally have the longest date, they can get out of sync or come from different pharmacies or warehouses, so at times, your existing supply may have a longer shelf life than the last one you received.
Don’t Order Too Much Medicine
By monitoring what you’ve got, you can also prevent over ordering. It’s easy to lose track and think you’re running out of medicines when there’s a pack or bottle hiding at the back of the cupboard. It’s a good idea to ask your GP how much you should be keeping in the house too – some medicines are really important to take regularly so it’s critical not to run out.
One of the temptations is to over order because medicines are relatively cheap in the UK thanks to the NHS. Just remember that if a lot of people do that, it can result in shortages for other people, or wasted supplies when they go out of date before they’re used.
Just because we only pay a prescription charge to get our orders from the pharmacy, doesn’t mean they’re cheap to the NHS too. Some items are incredibly expensive, and ultimately the tax payer picks up the bill whether medicines are used or wasted.
Why Do Medicines Go Unused?
Unused medicines aren’t always a result of over ordering by patients. For that reason, no-one should be embarrassed to return expired packs to pharmacies.
Common reasons also include:
- No Longer Required
Many medicines are used for a fixed period, and then have no further use. Sometimes, if that’s known in advance, pharmacists can split pack sizes down to dispense to reduce waste, but it’s not always known how long they’ll be needed for. - Dose Changes
Many people are on medicines for very long periods, including for life. That can mean doses change periodically to keep patients well. That in turn means that patients no longer need tablets and other forms of their meds to use before they expire. - Brand Variance
Some medicines are made by different brands and some patients can find one works far better than another. As a result, patients may need to temporarily change when stock is low of their preferred manufacturer, but then switch back quickly if they don’t react well.
All in all, there are many reasons why medicine may go unused. Regardless of the reason, it’s important that any left over medication is disposed of securely via a pharmacy or other approved route, usually as part of NHS initiatives.
