FAQ Consumers
Consumers
HPSA currently operates in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Prince Edward Island.
Pharmacies participating in HPSA’s take back programs accept the following consumer health products.
- Prescription drugs
- Over-the-counter medications
- Natural health products, including prescribed cannabis
- Medical Sharps (ON, MB, PEI)
In British Columbia unwanted medications, in Ontario unwanted medications and used medical sharps for companion animals are also accepted.
No. HPSA’s take back programs are free of charge for consumers.
Find your nearest participating pharmacy with HPSA’s location finder or call your local pharmacy to confirm.
No. This method may have potential harmful effects on the environment and health. Disposal via the toilet will take your drugs into the local sewage system where treatment plants are not fully designed to handle the medication. The best method of disposal is to return medications to a participating pharmacy under HPSA’s take back program.
No. This is no better than flushing them down the toilet because they still end up in the same place. It’s even worse if your home uses a septic system. Drugs can leach into the local water table, eventually coming out somewhere, like a nearby lake or stream, or out onto your own property, where pets, livestock or wildlife could be at risk. The best method of disposal is to return medications to a participating pharmacy under HPSA’s take back program.
No. Safety experts strongly discourage throwing them into the trash where children or pets can find them. Your trash will eventually make it to a local landfill, where your medications could still have the potential to leach out. The best method of disposal is to return medications to a participating pharmacy under HPSA’s take back program.
Not all doctors’ offices will accept unwanted medications. Check with your doctor’s office first, or find the nearest pharmacy here that participates in HPSA’s take back program.
Returning medications to the pharmacy is easy. Just follow these steps:
- Empty all dry medication such as pills and tablets into a clear bag.
- Keep all liquids, creams and inhalers in their original vials and remove all personal identification.
Return to your local participating pharmacy. Find your nearest pharmacy using HPSA’s location finder.
Returning sharps to the pharmacy is easy. Just follow these steps:
- Get a sharps container from a participating pharmacy (free of charge, subject to availability) or from any retailer.
- Place needles into the sharps container without overfilling.
- Follow the instructions provided with the container to permanently close it.
- Return to your local participating pharmacy. Find your nearest pharmacy using HPSA’s location finder.
No, COVID-19 rapid tests are not to be collected in HPSA’s containers. Contact your local municipality waste services to find out how to dispose of covid rapid tests.