Decision paralysis can set in when it comes to safely disposing of old prescriptions collecting dust in medicine cabinets, nightstands and junk drawers.
Fortunately, convenient new products have joined the highly effective takeback programs and disposal boxes found in grocery stores and pharmacies: at-home disposal systems.
According to a professor of geriatric pharmacy at the CU Anschutz Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, these products complement takeback kiosks and events and can especially offer safe disposal of opioids and other controlled substances.
Key points:
- Drug disposal systems – found in either pouches or plastic bottles –are an effective option to get rid of old medications.
- They work using activated carbon, which renders the active ingredients irretrievable.
- These systems work best for small amounts of medication, especially in cases that include opioids, to prevent accidental overdoses or exposures at home.
“We know that many accidental drug overdoses and people that develop a substance use disorder may have initially started because there was experimentation with drugs in the home that were prescribed to a family member or housemate,” said Sunny Linnebur, PharmD. Linnebur also co-chairs the safe disposal work group at the Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention. Linnebur notes that at-home systems can be safe for both people and the environment.
“These products can help expand the ecosystem for disposal,” said Linnebur. “Takeback events reach some individuals, and the drug medication takeback boxes that are supported by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and funded by the state Legislature, those are great options. We’ve seen over 20 million pounds of drugs safely disposed of since the national takeback events started in 2010. Colorado alone saw almost 72,000 pounds collected and disposed of in 2025 through the state-funded program, and 20,835 pounds collected during the two 2025 Colorado DEA Drug Take Back days.. Yet, the at-home disposal pouches and bottles can also add to the armamentarium to help protect our waterways and the environment while safeguarding homes from accidents and abuse.”
In the following Q&A, Linnebur details how at-home systems work, what drugs they do and don’t work with and when she recommends their use over a takeback kiosk.