Safe Drug Storage and Disposal

Storage

To avoid the use of opioids by others, store medicines out-of-reach of children and pets and in a locked cabinet or safe. Always know where your prescription medicines are and remove them from view when people visit your home. Keep prescription medicines in the original bottle with the label and the child-proof cap on and always keep track of how many pills are in your bottle, so you are know if any are missing.

Safe Drug Disposal

Do you have medication that's expired or you no longer use? Dispose of it safely and anonymously at one of four blue MedSafe boxes located around UNC Hospitals. The medication will be safely and legally destroyed. Medications should not be simply thrown away or flushed down the toilet: improper disposal of medication can lead to environmental or safety hazards.

Do you have medication that's expired or you no longer use? It is important to properly dispose of unused medications. There are several options to dispose of medications available:

Option 1:

To help with safe disposal ask your doctor if you can bring unused medicine to your follow up appointment. Not all clinics have this option.

Option 2:

Safely dispose unused medicine at one of four free take-back sites at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough. You can also download a flier and poster to promote the location of our MedSafe box locations.

Option 3:

If other options not possible, follow these recommended steps for throwing medicines away at home: