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Segregate them at the point of disposal into the right stream — non-hazardous pharmaceuticals, hazardous waste pharmaceuticals, or DEA-controlled substances — then have them collected by a licensed pharmaceutical waste vendor or shipped through a mail-back program for destruction, usually by incineration. Never flush them, pour them down a drain, or put them in the regular trash, a red bag, or a sharps container.
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Not hazardous waste pharmaceuticals. Since August 21, 2019, EPA's Subpart P has prohibited all healthcare facilities — including very small quantity generators — and reverse distributors from discharging hazardous waste pharmaceuticals to a sewer system that flows to a publicly-owned treatment works.
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A pharmaceutical is hazardous waste if the EPA lists it — for example, on the P or U lists — or if it exhibits a hazardous characteristic such as ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, or toxicity. MedPro helps your facility identify which medications in your formulary fall into that category.
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Under 21 CFR Part 1317, a registrant can deliver controlled substances to a DEA-registered reverse distributor, destroy them on-site to a non-retrievable state with two employees handling or observing the process, or return them for a recall. Practitioners can also request DEA disposal assistance using DEA Form 41.
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It's the DEA's destruction standard: a process that permanently alters a controlled substance's physical or chemical state through irreversible means, making it unavailable and unusable for all practical purposes.
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Up to one year under EPA Subpart P. Your facility must be able to show how long each container has been accumulating, so date containers when they start filling.
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No. Pharmaceutical waste is regulated separately from medical and sharps waste and needs its own container and disposal pathway. Mixing them can create compliance violations for both streams. See sharps container disposal and biohazard waste disposal for those streams.
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Yes. MedPro provides a secure pharmaceutical disposal kit with a prepaid shipping label. Once your container is full to the fill line, seal it and return it for compliant disposal. The mail-back kit is designed for healthcare providers, not residential users — consumers with a recalled medication should talk to their physician or pharmacist.
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Once your waste is collected, MedPro assumes complete responsibility for its safe transport and disposal, backed by $33 million in liability coverage.
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Your first collection is scheduled within 7–10 business days of signup. Pickups that follow are scheduled around your needs, waste volume, and workflow. Request a free quote to get started.
