Death from an unintentional overdose occurs every six minutes and pharmaceuticals are a top source of accidental poisoning for children.1,2 Does that make you want to flush your unused medications down the toilet? Stop!
Flushed meds are responsible for as many as 2,300 tons of hazardous waste annually, according to the EPA.3 They can pollute drinking water and harm aquatic species. And putting pharmaceuticals in the trash increases their risk of being abused.
If you’re in Missouri, this website can help you responsibly empty your medicine cabinets in a way that won’t harm the environment or put people at risk. To search pharmaceutical take-back and safe disposal locations in Missouri, please click map image. Here’s how to use it:
- On the map, use the plus sign to zoom in until you see your location.
- Locate the take-back program nearest you and find out when it’s open.
- Separate the unused medications from their containers (or use a sharpie to remove any identifying information), then drop them off with the pharmacist — no questions asked.
Want to do more? Help spread the word!
1. Share these graphics on social media — please make sure to include the link: www.tinyurl.com/missouri-meds and the hashtag #MOSaferDisposal.
- “Fish Don’t Want Your Meds,” a new campaign from the Product Stewardship Institute + the Missouri Product Stewardship Council, educates consumers in that state about responsible medication disposal. www.tinyurl.com/missouri-meds #MOSaferDisposal
- Flushed medications can harm aquatic species — and putting meds in the trash increases their risk of being abused. A new campaign in Missouri aims to educate consumers about responsible disposal. www.tinyurl.com/missouri-meds #MOSaferDisposal
- Missouri’s new “Fish Don’t Want Your Meds” campaign is part of a growing movement to develop statewide medications take-back programs, partially in response to the opioid epidemic: Statistics show that seven out of 10 people who abuse prescription drugs obtain them from friends or family – and often from home medicine cabinets. www.tinyurl.com/missouri-meds #MOSaferDisposal
- Seven out of 10 people who abuse prescription drugs get them from friends or family — often from home medicine cabinets. Does that make you want to flush your unused medications down the toilet? Stop! Flushed meds can pollute drinking water. A new campaign in Missouri aims to educate consumers about responsible disposal. www.tinyurl.com/missouri-meds #MOSaferDisposal
- Medications are a top source of accidental poisoning for children. Does that make you want to flush your unused medications down the toilet? Stop! Flushed meds are responsible for 2,300 tons of hazardous waste each year. A new campaign in Missouri aims to educate consumers about responsible disposal. www.tinyurl.com/missouri-meds #MOSaferDisposal
2. Download this graphic, print your selection(s), and distribute at locations – like pharmacies or community centers – where people might be interested in learning more. They are sized to print on 5 x 7 postcard stock, either at home or through a professional printer.
The more people we reach, the more we can protect. Thank you!
ABOUT US
The “Fish Don’t Want Your Meds” campaign connects Missouri residents with resources – including an interactive map – to help them conveniently drop off unused pharmaceuticals for safe disposal.
It was created by the Missouri Product Stewardship Council (MOPSC), a coalition of governments, businesses, and other stakeholders, and the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), a national policy advocate and consulting nonprofit.
The project is part of a growing movement to develop statewide take-back programs, partially in response to the opioid epidemic: Statistics show that seven out of 10 people who abuse prescription drugs obtain them from friends or family – and often from home medicine cabinets.4
Are you a member of the media? Download our press release. Thanks!
PREVIOUS INITIATIVES
Sharps Disposal
Follow the steps on this guide to safely dispose of sharps.
Fact Sheet: Got Leftover Medicine? A Resource for Missouri
Note: The second page of the fact sheet is intentionally left blank so that your local government or organization can add information that is region-specific and up-to-date.
2021 Fall Social Media Campaign
Click here for sample social media posts!
2020 Missouri Pharmaceuticals Stewardship Summit
Other Helpful Links
- Resources from our October 2020 Pharmaceuticals Summit including agenda, notes, slides, and participants.
- Springfield’s Guidance on Disposal of Sharps/Needles & Pharmaceuticals Generated by Households.
- To be most effective, drug-take back programs must be sustainably funded and available to consumers year round. The Product Stewardship Institute has advocated for extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws that make drug companies pay for and manage drug take-back programs since 2005. They have led the charge to change federal law and the associated Drug Enforcement Administration regulations to let retail pharmacies collect controlled substances, allowing them to host convenient drug take-back programs for their customers.
Sources
- https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/accidental-injury.htm (Unintentional poisoning deaths – Number of deaths: 87,404 per year (2020) 87,404 / 365 days per year = 239.46 deaths per day 239.46 /24 hours per day = 9.97 deaths per hour — about 10 deaths per hour = approx. 1 death every 6 mins)
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022347611007712?casa_token=sECSUhTN5_IAAAAA:Vi3eGhf9ViigppBCAGbDWRKlZqCLf1-GSbv140J61KTy2XpF6WOpke0pzLC3J0hkUqhK-aqkMA
- https://www.epa.gov/hwgenerators/frequent-questions-about-management-standards-hazardous-waste-pharmaceuticals-and
- https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2012/04/25/friends-and-family-are-primary-sources-abused-prescription-drugs
missouripsc.org 
