Disposing of old medicine – the safe way
Why leftover and expired medicine should not go in the bin or the toilet, where to take it in South Africa, and how to clear out a cupboard safely.
Why it matters
- Children. Tablets in a household bin are reachable, and medicines are among the most common causes of childhood poisoning. Iron tablets and blister packs of brightly coloured pills are particularly dangerous.
- Other people. Leftover antibiotics and painkillers get passed to family members for the wrong problem and the wrong dose. Strong painkillers and sedatives are also diverted deliberately.
- Water. Medicines flushed down a toilet or sink pass into the water system, and treatment plants are not designed to remove them.
- You. An expired or badly stored medicine may be weaker than it says, which matters when it is the one holding a condition steady.
What to do
- Collect everything expired, unwanted or left over from a finished course, including creams, inhalers, liquids and unused injections.
- Leave tablets in their original packaging where you can. It tells the pharmacy what they are handling.
- Take them to a pharmacy and ask about their disposal arrangement. Community and hospital pharmacies generally accept returns.
- Hand back unused chronic medication at the clinic that supplied it, especially HIV and TB treatment.
- Put used needles and lancets in a proper sharps container, never in a household bin or a soft-drink bottle. Ask your clinic or pharmacy about a container and where to return a full one.
Clearing out the cupboard
- Do it about twice a year, and do it in daylight where you can read the expiry dates.
- Discard anything with no legible label. An unidentified tablet is not worth keeping for any reason.
- Discard tablets that are crumbling, discoloured or stuck together, and creams or liquids that have separated or changed smell.
- Do not keep leftover antibiotics for next time. There is no next time that they are the right answer for.
- Keep what remains together, out of the bathroom and out of a car, away from heat and damp, and out of reach of children.
Common questions
- Can I flush old medicine down the toilet?
- No. Medicines flushed away pass into the water system, which treatment plants are not designed to remove them from. Take them to a pharmacy instead — most accept expired and unwanted medicines at no charge.
- Where do I take expired medicine in South Africa?
- To a pharmacy. Community and hospital pharmacies generally accept returns for proper disposal, and unused chronic medication can be handed back at the clinic that supplied it.
- How do I dispose of used needles?
- In a proper sharps container, never a household bin or a soft-drink bottle. Ask your clinic or pharmacy for a container and where to return it when it is full.
Sources
- Medicines regulation, safety communications and adverse event reportingSouth African Health Products Regulatory Authority
- Poisons Information Helpline guidanceTygerberg and Red Cross Poisons Information Centres
- Primary Healthcare Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines ListNational Department of Health, South Africa
- Clinical and public health guidanceWorld Health Organization
Last reviewed 11 August 2026.