Flushing medication hurts the environment
You
may have heard by now that you're not
supposed to flush medication down the toilet. Dozens of scientific studies
have found remnants of your medications
in rivers, lakes, and streams. And fish don't need your unused medications — it
could even hurt them. 
Birth
control pills in the water system have been linked to feminizing fish, antidepressant medications
have been found concentrated in fish brains, and antibiotics can kill aquatic organisms like
algae.
As Hamilton, Southeastern
Regional Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a press release.
"Those
drugs are present in water that supports many species of fish and other
wildlife. We are concerned about reports of fish abnormalities possibly caused
by improperly disposed prescription medications."
So how should you dispose of your leftover or expired medications?
Many police stations and
pharmacies are designated drop-off sites. You can use these tools to find law
enforcement agencies or pharmacies
that will dispose of medication near you. If you can't find one of those, you
legally can dispose of medicines in the trash. But the FDA recommends first combining them with an undesirable substance
like coffee grounds or kitty litter so children or pets don't eat them, putting
them in a plastic bag to prevent leakage, and destroying
your name on prescription drug containers to protect your identity.
But throwing medications away should really be a last resort, for the environment's sake
