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Drugs and pharmaceuticals contain thousands of different chemicals and formulations. Many are likely to designate as hazardous waste. In addition, regulations address issues such as illegal diversion or misuse of drugs, accidental poisonings, infection control, sharps hazards and environmental pollution.
In general, the best strategy is to use up your supply of pharmaceuticals. Don't accept samples unless you can use them. Federal, state, and local regulators with expertise in the management of pharmaceuticals developed and compiled a set of best management practices in 2003. These are listed on the Washington State Department of Ecology - Managing Pharmaceutical Waste page.
If you have expired or unwanted pharmaceuticals, use a reverse distributor. These companies arrange for recycling or destruction of unwanted pharmaceuticals, including controlled substances. In some cases drug manufacturers offer credits for returned pharmaceuticals to encourage tracking of inventories and the return of drugs. For a list of vendors that accept unwanted pharmaceuticals, see the Companies that Take Back Unwanted Pharmaceuticals (pdf, 160 KB).
For pharmaceuticals not accepted by a reverse distributor, dispose of federally regulated hazardous waste and chemotherapy waste through a permitted hazardous waste vendor. In addition to the permits required under the Department of Ecology, a vendor must be permitted with the Board of Pharmacy and, if the medicines are controlled substances (narcotics), the vendor must also be registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration.
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