Returning Medications
If you look in your medicine cabinet, chances are you’ll find expired or unused medications. From tablets you bought just in case you got sick on a trip to the leftover cough syrup to pain medications you didn’t use up to those old birth control pills.
Don’t flush, pour down the sink or throw medications in the garbage.
Taking any of these actions can put your family, pets, your community and the environment at risk. Instead, dispose of them safely by taking them to a pharmacy that participates in HPSA’s free take back program.
How to return unwanted medications

Included
- Prescription drugs
- Over-the-counter medications
- Natural health products
In British Columbia and Ontario, consumers may return unused or expired medications for companion animals.

Excluded
- Empty pill bottles or other containers
- Cosmetics or beauty products
- Contact lens disinfectants
- Rapid tests
Do not return sharps, syringes, needles with medications.