Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is urging Americans to dispose of their prescription medications properly. He addressed the issue in a video posted on X, marking National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which is April 26.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has set up free, anonymous drop-off sites across the country where Americans can leave their unused prescription medications.
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While some may think that flushing prescriptions down the toilet is a safe alternative to throwing them away and can prevent people from accidentally ingesting it, Kennedy warns that there are dangers to that too. The HHS chief explained that once flushed, the medications will go into the water system, potentially exposing anyone who drinks the water to those substances.
“We don’t fully know the effects of low levels of birth control hormones or antibiotics or chemotherapy agents and so on, in the water, but it’s not good,” Kennedy said in the video.
However, there are some medications that are safe to flush. According to the FDA’s “Flush List,” there are several opioid medications that are safe to flush, including Vicodin, OxyContin and Percocet. However, the FDA warns that drugs that do not appear on its Flush List should not be flushed down the toilet.
The DEA sees National Prescription Drug Take Back Day as more than a way for Americans to clear out unwanted or unused medication. On its website advertising the take back day, the DEA frames it as a way to prevent “medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.”
During its most recent take back day in October 2024, the DEA collected 629,953 pounds, or 314 tons, of medication across 4,644 collection sites.
For those who miss National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are drug take-back sites open year-round. The FDA provides instructions on how to safely dispose of medications, as well as needles and syringes safely.
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