Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceuticals contain thousands of different chemicals and many designate as Dangerous Waste under Washington State regulations. As a member of the health care industry, you are required to properly manage and dispose of your unwanted pharmaceuticals. Disposing of medicines in a biomedical waste “red bag,” in the garbage, or down the drain may be harmful to our waterways and aquatic life. Reverse Distributors are specialized vendors that have the permitting and expertise to manage many unwanted pharmaceuticals, including controlled substances. When you send your unwanted
pharmaceuticals to these companies, they are either returned to drug manufacturers or properly destroyed. Click "Find Vendors" to view a Reverse Distributor list.

Hospitals and other large generators of pharmaceutical waste should refer to the Department of Ecology’s regulations and best management practices. For more information, go to the Ecology's Managing Pharmaceutical Waste.