08-07-2025
Drug Regulator Lists 17 Drugs You Can Flush Down Toilet If Expired
New Delhi:
Think twice before tossing any outdated or expired medicines you may have at home. Flushing certain drugs down the toilet to avoid unintentionally harming people or animals is the appropriate way to get rid of them, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has said.
The regulatory body listed at least 17 drugs that can be disposed of this way.
According to Pharmabiz, most of the drugs on the list are opioids or other prohibited synthetic opioids used to treat pain, anxiety, and other conditions.
The list of 17 drugs includes:
Fentanyl
Fentanyl Citrate
Diazepam
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine Hydrochloride
Morphine Sulfate
Methadone Hydrochloride
Hydromorphone Hydrochloride
Hydrocodone Bitartrate
Tapentadol
Oxycodone Hydrochloride
Oxycodone
Oxymorphone Hydrochloride
Sodium Oxybate
Tramadol
Methylphenidate
Meperidine Hydrochloride
Flushing these drugs after they expire or when they are no longer needed is safe, for they are believed to be particularly hazardous if misused. The precautionary measure aims to reduce the possibility of these drugs ending up in the wrong hands or causing unintentional harm.
The CDSCO states that if these medications are taken by someone other than the intended recipient, they can be particularly dangerous and, in certain situations, lethal with a single dosage.
To avoid endangering others in the house, including pets, the drug body advises doing away with them if they are stored unused, expired, or unwanted.
Devarati Majumdar, Director, Max Healthcare, said that the government recommended the drugs listed by the CDSCO be flushed down because they mostly included narcotics that are addictive and prone to abuse.
The CDSCO advises on the scientific disposal of other medications through "drug take back" programs to reduce environmental pollution. Improper disposal reportedly causes drugs to end up in water sources, which in turn fuels the growth of diseases resistant to multiple drugs, The Times of India reported.
The Biomedical Waste Management Rules of 2016 allow the state government to coordinate with local entities to develop a process and facility for collecting and disposing of unused or expired medicines.
