Please DO NOT throw medications in the trash, dump them down the drain, or flush them down the toilet.
Disposing of medications in these ways can hurt our environment, because the drug ingredients may leech into our water sources or soil. That puts our community and ecosystems at risk of harmful contamination.
Keeping unwanted medications at home increases the risk of vulnerable people and pets accessing the drugs, which could lead to addiction, overdose, or poisoning.
The safest thing to do is drop off unwanted or expired medications at your community pharmacy.
Through a program launched in January 2024, New Brunswickers can now return expired and unwanted medications, along with used medical sharps, to participating pharmacies – free of charge. Returned products are collected and safely disposed of, ensuring they do not contaminate our landfills and waterways.
To properly prepare your dry medications (such as tablets or powders) for disposal, dump all prescription, over-the-counter and natural health products into a clear plastic bag. Please keep liquids and creams in their original packaging, but remove any personal information from the label. Pill bottles will not be accepted. This is a medication-only return program, so please don't include items like beauty products, contact lens disinfectants, or COVID-19 rapid tests.
Be sure to dispose of needles, syringes, and other biohazardous materials in a sharps container. This is to protect yourself and your pharmacy team when you return these used products to the pharmacy. Please do not improvise and dispose of sharps in empty milk containers and detergent bottles. Free sharps containers are available through the program, so be sure to pick one up from a participating pharmacy the next time you're out.
Your pharmacist is happy to answer questions about medication expiry dates and proper storage.
Find a collection location near you
In January 2024, New Brunswick Pharmacists’ Association partnered with Recycle NB and the Health Products Stewardship Association (HPSA) to launch the province’s first Extended Producer Responsibility program for pharmaceutical products and medical sharps. The program allows New Brunswickers to return expired and unwanted medications, along with used medical sharps to participating pharmacies free of charge. Read our release here.