Find a Drop-Off Location
Find a Drop-Off Location

FAQ Consumers

Frequently Asked Questions

Consumers

  • HPSA currently operates in six provinces: British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Quebec and Prince Edward Island.
  • The following products can be returned in the respective provinces:
    • Prescription drugs (BC, MB, ON, QC, NB, PEI)
    • Over-the-counter medications (BC, MB, ON, QC, NB, PEI)
    • Natural health products (BC, MB, ON, QC, NB, PEI)
    • Medical Sharps (MB, ON, QC, NB, PEI)
    Check here to find a participating collection location near you.
  • Take back programs operated by HPSA are free of charge for consumers. As a member of the public, you can return eligible products and also receive a free medical sharps container at any drop-off location.
  • Drop off locations such as pharmacies, vet clinics or dispensaries accept eligible returns from any member of the public, even if you are not a customer of that location.
  • You do not need to show identification or proof of purchase to return accepted products at a participating collection location.
  • If a participating collection location is unable to accept your return, please contact HPSA so we can provide support and follow up as needed.

Medications

  • Any of the following items that are unwanted:
    • Prescription drugs
    • Over-the-counter medications
    • Natural health products
    In British Columbia and Ontario, unused, expired or unwanted medications for your companion animal are also accepted. Please take a look at what is included and excluded in our medication returns program.
  • You can return your items to any drop-off location, even if you are not a customer of that location. To find your nearest drop-off location visit: Find a drop-off location
  • No. While this may have been done in the past, this method may have potential harmful effects on the environment. Disposal via the toilet will take your drugs into the local sewage system where treatments plants are not fully designed to deal with the medication. The best method of disposal is to return medications to a participating collection location.
  • 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 collection location.
  • 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. Many municipal or regional districts have local household waste facilities where you can safely drop off your medications for disposal. Check in your region for more information.
  • Not usually. The pharmacy located near your doctor’s office will probably take medication returns. Either call the pharmacy to confirm or check here to find the nearest participating collection location. In some First Nations it may be possible to return medications – check with your doctors office.
  • Empty all dry medication such as pills and tablets into a bag or container. Remove or black out any personal identification. Keep all liquids, creams and inhalers in their original packaging and remove all personal identification. Return to a drop-off location.
  • Returned medications are picked up from participating pharmacies and sent to a licensed incineration facility for safe destruction.

Medical Sharps

  • To ensure the safe disposal. Improper disposal puts garbage and municipal workers, janitors, housekeepers, household members, children and pets at risk of being harmed by needle stick injuries.
  • Please find a detailed list of what's included and excluded with our medical sharps return program.
  • You can return your used medical sharps containers to any drop-off location, even if you are not a customer of that location. Either call your local pharmacy n to confirm their participation or check here for the nearest drop-off location on the map.
  • Used medical sharps should be collected in a sharp approved container available free of charge from participating collection locations, even if you are not a customer of that location.
  • Biomedical sharps are treated using a high-pressure steam sterilization process (typically a commercial autoclave). Cytotoxic sharps are treated using high-temperature incineration.