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 1. Policy & Research
 2. Topics
 3. Health & Health Care
 4. Prescription Drugs


MEDICATION LITERACY: DRUG DISPOSAL

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by

James McSpadden, AARP Public Policy Institute

 

Published April 18, 2024
Disposing of Unwanted Medicine: Why it is Important
Proper disposal of unused or unwanted medicines is important to ensure your
safety and the safety of others.
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Disposing of Unwanted Medicine: Why it is Important

Older adults are commonly prescribed multiple drugs – 42 percent of adults ages
65 and older take five or more drugs monthly – and are likely to accumulate
unused or unwanted drugs. Too many Americans often improperly dispose of unused
drugs or hold on to them indefinitely, both of which can have serious
consequences.



This report examines proper drug disposal— the safe and timely removal of unused
or unwanted drugs from an individual’s possession according to US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) standards—and what can make it difficult. Specifically, it
considers the importance of proper disposal of prescription drugs for older
adults, examines barriers that may limit older adults’ access to drug disposal
options, and identifies solutions to help older adults properly dispose of their
unused or unwanted drugs. 



Why Proper Disposal Matters



Drug disposal is a vital component of good drug management. For this reason, the
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) incorporates disposal as the
final step in Medicare’s Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program and has
requirements for health care providers and health plans to provide MTM
participants with specific information about the safe disposal of controlled
substances and other prescription drugs.



Failing to properly dispose of prescription drugs can have serious consequences.
These could include:

 * Increased risk of adverse drug events, which include unintentional medication
   errors, intentional misuse, or drug reactions.
 * Pharmaceutical ingredients leeching from landfills into waterways when drugs
   are disposed of directly into the trash.
 * People for whom the drug was not prescribed accessing the product.


HOW TO DISPOSE OF UNUSED MEDICINES



Barriers: Awareness and Access



Awareness – among consumers as well as pharmacists – about these risks and about
proper drug disposal has remained low despite attempts at both the federal and
state levels to boost communication and improve education on drug disposal.
Federal regulations encourage approved US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) disposal
locations to educate consumers about proper disposal of drugs, and the FDA has
developed educational materials for consumers and pharmacists. Also, some states
have put in place educational programs about drug disposal, and some state
boards of pharmacy publish lists of disposal locations.



Identifying and accessing a DEA-approved disposal location can be challenging.
Although some older adults may learn about locations directly from a provider,
most must find the information on their own. Despite the large number of
DEA-approved locations across the US (over 14,000), older adults  have varying
access to approved locations depending on where they live, and may have to
travel some distance to find one.


HOW TO DISPOSE OF MEDICINE AT HOME



Conclusion



Too often, older adults do not know about proper disposal options, or the
options are inconvenient. The danger is that unused, unwanted, and expired drugs
get mixed into an older adult’s current drug regimen, fall into the hands of
others, or contaminate the environment when disposed of improperly.



Proper drug disposal is not as easy as it could be. Barriers can be reduced if
providers and policymakers redouble their efforts in areas such as making
disposal convenient, enhancing education and outreach, training providers about
disposal, and considering consumers’ experiences with disposal.

View Video

Suggested citation:
McSpadden, James. Medication Literacy: Drug Disposal. Washington, DC: AARP
Public Policy Institute, April 18, 2024. https://doi.org/10.26419/ppi.00223.001



MORE FROM AARP

The Importance of Prescription Drugs to Midlife Medicaid Enrollees

This Fact Sheet looks at prescription drug use among midlife Medicaid enrollees,
examines a set of baseline trends (who fills prescriptions, where they live, and
how often they fill prescriptions), the types of drugs midlife Medicaid
enrollees fill, and the impact of state expansion of Medicaid on prescription
drug use among this population.



A New Era for State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs That Serve Older Adults

This Spotlight examines the existing State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs
(SPAPs) and their characteristics and highlights how specific federal
prescription drug reforms could generate savings for SPAPs and provide an
opportunity for states to revisit these important programs.



Trends in Retail Prices of Prescription Drugs Widely Used by Older Americans,
2006 to 2020

Prescription drug price increases affect consumers, employers, private insurers,
and taxpayers who fund programs like Medicare and Medicaid.



Prescription Drug Costs a Major Concern for Older Voters

Older adults are concerned about high prescription drug prices, but few know
about the new law enacted in 2022 to bring down drug prices for consumers.


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Full Report (PDF)



SUPPORTING MATERIAL

 * 1. Drug Disposal Infographic (PDF)
   
   

 * 2. Disposing of Unwanted Medicine: Why it is Important (Video)
   
   

 * 3. How to Dispose of Unused Medicines (Video)
   
   

 * 4. How to Dispose of Medicine at Home (Video)
   
   

 * 5. Federal Drug Administration’s Drug Disposal Resources
   
   

 * 6. Drug Enforcement Agency’s Year-Round Drug Drop-Off Location Finder
   
   

 * 7. Drug Enforcement Agency’s Drug Take-Back Day
   
   

 * 8. National Association of Boards of Pharmacy’s Drug Disposal Resources and
   Drug Disposal Locator Tool
   
   

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