In addition to medicine-disposal regulations for pharmacies, some states have community take-back programs through which patients can return unused drugs. If your area has such a program, encourage patients to contact their local pharmacy or local authority to learn how to use it.

If no take-back program is available, you may want to advise patients to follow these guidelines:

• Unless instructed otherwise, do not dispose of unused medicines by emptying them into a sink, toilet, or storm drain
• Place unused medicines in an unrecognizable sealed container, and ensure that children, pets, and others do not have access to the contents of the container
• Dispose of the container in household trash

Additional guidance for patients is available at www.smarxtdisposal.net