One of the main reasons why we have an opioid crisis is when we are given too many pills in our prescription or when no longer need our pills. We can either abuse those pills or have them left around for children or pets to get hold of. It is important to remove any unwanted pills so avoid your chances of developing an addiction or for others to take hold of them.

To reduce the risk of anyone accidentally taking your medication, misusing it, and reduce having it around the environment, it is best to follow the advice of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s advice. There are National Prescription Drug Take-back Days which are temporary sites in the community nationwide for safe disposal. You can call the DEA Office of Diversion Control Registration Call Center at 1-800-882-9539 so that you can find an authorized collector in your area as well as local law enforcement and waste management. There are also authorized permanent collection sites in retail pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and law enforcement facilities that have drop boxes to put your pills in.

If for some reason you do not have any drop boxes near you and cannot flush down your medication, you can mix your medicine with dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds before disposing it. You can also put your medication in a plastic, consealed bag before putting it in the trash. It is important that for empty pill bottles that you scratch off your personal information and address so that no one gets access to it.

Any medications you have such as fentanyl, Benzhydrocodone, Hydrocodone, Methadone, Morphine, Oxycodone, and others should be flushed down the toilet to prevent children and pets from using them. What may not be fatal to you can be fatal to others who do not have a prescription like having trouble breathing, heart problems, or accidental overdose. Medications have instructions that came with flushing instructions if you do not have a take-back center near you. You never want to be the one responsible if your child or your pet needs medical attention because you had extra pills lying around or that you have to take extra pills to avoid wasting them as you can develop an opioid addiction that way. It is best to turn in your extra pills to the right take-away centers or flush them away to save your life and others.

Located in Tacoma, Washington, Bayview Center’s mission is to offer clinically-driven programs and services to treat a number of substance abuse disorders along with anxiety and depression using cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, trauma therapy, yoga therapy, and more for a successful recovery. For more information, please call us 888 570 7154 at as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.