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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to throw away unopened prescription medicine?

59 replies

caffelattetogo · 25/01/2023 11:03

I am helping clear an elderly person's flat. There is a lot of unopened precription medicine. It is in date but the person has died. I offered to take it to the pharmacy to dispose of it, but my friend (who is Greek) says that in her country they send medicines to Africa and we should try to find a charity to give it to. I know it's valuable to someone, but have no idea where to start. Does anyone take medicine? There's bags full of it.

OP posts:
KangarooKenny · 25/01/2023 11:05

I’d drop it back to the pharmacy .

PoinsettiaPosturing · 25/01/2023 11:06

If you return to the pharmacy, they destroy it. There's no legal way of donating prescription medications as far as I'm aware but if there's any generic pain killers or antibiotics I'd keep it while it's in date

CableTidy · 25/01/2023 11:06

Take it to a pharmacy, they'll dispose of it properly. Anyone taking non prescription medication could get ill

PacificallyRequested · 25/01/2023 11:06

Take it back to the pharmacy. I doubt any charities here would accept it.

APurpleSquirrel · 25/01/2023 11:07

No, you need to hand it in to a pharmacy. Unfortunately anything that is a prescription can't be given out to anyone else, even if unopened so needs to be destroyed properly so it doesn't contaminate water supply/landfill.
Very wasteful but there it is. Had to do the same when clearing out my grandparents house.

youshouldnthaveasked · 25/01/2023 11:07

Take it back to the pharmacy. They will either dispose or redistribute. Please don’t send prescription drugs through the post you have no idea who will come across it

Dotjones · 25/01/2023 11:09

Just bin it. If it's out of date they can't be donated - whilst they may still be safe they might have lost their effectiveness. The use by date is there because that is the timeframe the drug has been tested to be effective until.

Consider taking the pills out of the packets and just dumping them loose. This will mean they degrade more quickly and will be less tempting to bin-divers or anyone else who finds them. (Fewer people would be tempted to take a random bunch of unidentified pills than would be to take a sealed pack of opioids, for example.)

DerangedViper · 25/01/2023 11:10

Return it to a pharmacy

MrBallLegs · 25/01/2023 11:10

I would return it to the pharmacy. If it's sealed/unopened they may be able to reuse it.

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 25/01/2023 11:12

Pharmacy.

What they do in other countries (with laxer regulations on drug controls) is irrelevant.

BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn · 25/01/2023 11:13

It's not safe to bin it. It's not legal to pass it on.

GideonSmideon · 25/01/2023 11:13

Most pharmacies won't take it here. Including the hospital one. Or sharps bins. We wrapped the meds and binned them

Greenfinch7 · 25/01/2023 11:14

Pharmacies just destroy it.

I find it absolutely shocking that in-date, sealed, unopened, medicine is destroyed rather than redistributed. I am horrified by the waste. I think it is one of the most terrible examples of wastefulness and lack of care, under the excuse of 'safety', that I am aware of.

MrsMontyD · 25/01/2023 11:14

MrBallLegs · 25/01/2023 11:10

I would return it to the pharmacy. If it's sealed/unopened they may be able to reuse it.

It will be destroyed, dispensed medication is never reused.

luvit · 25/01/2023 11:15

Prescription meds need to go to pharmacy. Anything non-prescription that is unopened can go to a hygeine bank. Google for one nearby. They also take some opened items, like incontinence pads, but check their website.

MrsMontyD · 25/01/2023 11:16

Greenfinch7 · 25/01/2023 11:14

Pharmacies just destroy it.

I find it absolutely shocking that in-date, sealed, unopened, medicine is destroyed rather than redistributed. I am horrified by the waste. I think it is one of the most terrible examples of wastefulness and lack of care, under the excuse of 'safety', that I am aware of.

People stockpiling medicines is the issue, those who don't pay for prescriptions so just request all their repeats even when they have some on stock, that's what causes the waste.

TheRookie · 25/01/2023 11:16

Dotjones · 25/01/2023 11:09

Just bin it. If it's out of date they can't be donated - whilst they may still be safe they might have lost their effectiveness. The use by date is there because that is the timeframe the drug has been tested to be effective until.

Consider taking the pills out of the packets and just dumping them loose. This will mean they degrade more quickly and will be less tempting to bin-divers or anyone else who finds them. (Fewer people would be tempted to take a random bunch of unidentified pills than would be to take a sealed pack of opioids, for example.)

This is hideous advice.

TheRookie · 25/01/2023 11:16

Hand it in to a pharmacy and they will destroy it safely.

Dontslipontheice · 25/01/2023 11:18

MrsMontyD · 25/01/2023 11:14

It will be destroyed, dispensed medication is never reused.

Show quote history

Mmm. Our dispensing GP kept getting my prescription wrong and giving me a controlled drug I'd previously had briefly. Every time I returned it unopened, every time they sai as soon as a drug leaves the pharmacy it can't be reused, and if returned it would have to be disposed of.

RGinaPhalange · 25/01/2023 11:21

MrsMontyD · 25/01/2023 11:16

People stockpiling medicines is the issue, those who don't pay for prescriptions so just request all their repeats even when they have some on stock, that's what causes the waste.

Show quote history

This^

Most prescriptions are for a two month supply. If people only ordered what they needed when they needed it there wouldn’t be much returned medication at all.

ARoughRide · 25/01/2023 11:25

Dotjones · 25/01/2023 11:09

Just bin it. If it's out of date they can't be donated - whilst they may still be safe they might have lost their effectiveness. The use by date is there because that is the timeframe the drug has been tested to be effective until.

Consider taking the pills out of the packets and just dumping them loose. This will mean they degrade more quickly and will be less tempting to bin-divers or anyone else who finds them. (Fewer people would be tempted to take a random bunch of unidentified pills than would be to take a sealed pack of opioids, for example.)

Yeah-don’t do this ffs.

WhoNeedsSleepNotISaidMyBody · 25/01/2023 11:25

Dotjones · 25/01/2023 11:09

Just bin it. If it's out of date they can't be donated - whilst they may still be safe they might have lost their effectiveness. The use by date is there because that is the timeframe the drug has been tested to be effective until.

Consider taking the pills out of the packets and just dumping them loose. This will mean they degrade more quickly and will be less tempting to bin-divers or anyone else who finds them. (Fewer people would be tempted to take a random bunch of unidentified pills than would be to take a sealed pack of opioids, for example.)

Do NOT do this!!

WTF would you when it's easy to take it to a pharmacy for safe disposal.

It's a huge shame it can't be sent somewhere to be used, but safe disposal is the next best thing.

Slushynana · 25/01/2023 11:31

You could try this charity
intercare.org.uk/donate-supplies/general-public/
they don’t accept everything but it is worth asking

LakeTiticaca · 25/01/2023 11:33

This unfortunately is where a lot of NHS money is wasted. As a home carer I often opened an elderly person's cupboard and found mountains of unopened prescription medication from repeats that hadn't been reassessed. They may be free to the recipient but of course we the taxpayer are footing the bill. I'm pretty sure that this wouldn't happen if the recipients in question were charged for the products

TwoLeftSocksWithHoles · 25/01/2023 11:57

Dotjones · 25/01/2023 11:09

Just bin it. If it's out of date they can't be donated - whilst they may still be safe they might have lost their effectiveness. The use by date is there because that is the timeframe the drug has been tested to be effective until.

Consider taking the pills out of the packets and just dumping them loose. This will mean they degrade more quickly and will be less tempting to bin-divers or anyone else who finds them. (Fewer people would be tempted to take a random bunch of unidentified pills than would be to take a sealed pack of opioids, for example.)

Don't 'bin it' take it to a pharmacy,

Drugs can contaminate the ground / water and animals might eat them.