Medicine disposal
Unwanted or unused medicines should be taken back to your local pharmacy. They should be returned in the original packaging.
Medicines waste
All unwanted, unused or partly used medicines should be taken back to your local pharmacy for proper disposal, ideally in their original container or packaging.
Waste medicines must not be placed in your household domestic rubbish.
Antibiotics and hormone medicines
These are especially damaging if they get into the environment. Never put these (or any other medicines) down the sink or flush down the toilet.
Try not to order more than you need so you do not have extra medicines that may reach the expiry date. Check your cupboard to identify and remove any expired medicines.
Inhalers
Empty inhaler canisters still contain some gas that is destroyed when properly disposed of by incinerating.
The plastic casing may be recyclable via the pharmacy, not currently suitable for household recycling.
Several schemes are now offered from some local pharmacies to recycle empty medicine blister packaging. Not currently suitable for household recycling.
Some insulin pens can now be recycled. They must be empty and without needles.