Unwanted medicines should never go in the household bin or down the sink. They can be dangerous to children, pets and wildlife, and many active pharmaceutical ingredients are not removed by water treatment plants.
What you can bring us
- Unused prescription medication, including controlled drugs.
- Expired over-the-counter medicines.
- Inhalers, ointments, eye drops and most other forms of medication.
- Empty blister packs & sharps boxes — please ask, as some councils have specific arrangements for these.
What happens to it
Returned medicines are taken away by a licensed clinical-waste contractor and incinerated safely. We cannot reissue returned medicines, even unopened — this is a strict legal requirement, for very good safety reasons.
The bigger picture
The NHS spends over £300 million a year on prescription medicines that are never taken. If you find you're regularly throwing medication away, please talk to us or your GP — it may be that your repeat prescription needs adjusting. Our New Medicine Service and batch repeat dispensing can also help.