How to dispose of expired medicines in Australia
Take expired or unwanted medicines to any participating community pharmacy for free disposal through the Return Unwanted Medicines program. Do not put them in the household bin or flush them.
How to dispose of expired medicines
Old medicines in Australia go to a community pharmacy, whether they have expired or you no longer need them. The Return Unwanted Medicines program (NatRUM) collects them at no cost to you.
- Bag the medicines you are finished with.
- Take the bag to the dispensary at any pharmacy in the program.
- Tell the pharmacist what you are returning, and they place it in the RUM bin.
Any participating pharmacy can take them, whichever one supplied the medicine. Most community pharmacies have a RUM bin, so ask at the dispensary if you cannot see one.
Unused antibiotics belong in that bag once the course is finished or your doctor has stopped them. See how to take antibiotics.
| Accepted | Includes |
|---|---|
| Prescription medicines | Tablets, capsules, and patches |
| Over-the-counter medicines | Pharmacy and supermarket packs you no longer need |
| Supplements | Vitamins, minerals, and herbal or complementary products |
| Creams, gels, and liquids | Drops, ointments, lotions, and sprays |
| Inhalers | Respiratory devices, including asthma inhalers |
| Pet medicines | Veterinary medicines |
Unwanted medicines stay out of the household bin and the toilet. Strong pain relievers stay out of the sink as well.
Strong pain relievers
Unused strong pain relievers at home can be taken accidentally or misused. Return the ones you have stopped, and do not keep a pack just in case.
Many pharmacies keep the RUM bin behind the counter so a pharmacist can separate these and store them safely. Tell them what is in the bag before it goes in the bin.
- Keep them where children, pets, and other people cannot reach them.
- Hand controlled medicines to the pharmacist, who follows the rules for your state.
What you return is destroyed, mostly by high-temperature incineration. The pharmacy does not reuse it.
What stays out of the RUM bin
Sharps do not belong in the RUM bin. Put them in a sharps container, and ask the pharmacist or your local council where to take that container.
| Leave it out | What to do |
|---|---|
| Needles, syringes, and other sharps | A sharps container, then the drop-off your pharmacist or council names |
| A used adrenaline injector | A sharps container. An unused injector can go in the RUM bin, out of its box |
| A Webster pack or other dose aid | Empty the medicines into your return bag, then recycle the empty pack |
| Cosmetics and skin care | Take them to a recycling service |
Further items, including ones that need special handling, are on the Return Unwanted Medicines FAQ.
Take them out of the packaging
The preferred return is the medicine itself, with boxes and bottles recycled at home. If your name is on the label, leave that box out of the bag you hand over.
- Remove tablets from blister foils when you can recycle the foil.
- Many pharmacies collect empty blister foils through Pharmacycle.
- Put the loose medicines in a bag and hand it to the dispensary.
A Webster pack works the same way. Return the medicines, and ask the pharmacy about recycling the empty pack through Pharmacycle or Medcycle.
Clear the medicine cabinet
Check the date and the storage line on each pack before you decide it stays.
- Look for the expiry date on the carton, under a label, on a lid, or at the end of a tube.
- Follow the pack: below 25°C, in the dark, or in the fridge when it says so.
- Keep them in a cool, dark place, out of the bathroom and away from the cooktop.
- Lock medicines away, out of sight and reach of children. Children under 5 are at the highest risk of accidental poisoning.
Hot weather, the car, and which fridge shelf to use are in how to store medicines.
Eye drops need a tighter date. Throw them out 28 days after opening, even when the printed expiry is later, and take them with the rest.
An expired medicine can work less well or become harmful, particularly for a serious condition. If you have been taking one, talk to your pharmacist or doctor, because you may need a new supply.
Sort what you still take with how to manage multiple medicines. A parent's cupboard uses the same return, in keeping track of a parent's medicines.
Where a cupboard list falls short
A shelf of boxes does not show which medicines you still take. Note what has stopped, and write the stock and expiry on each pack you are keeping.
A short pack you still use needs a refill while a few days of doses remain. See what to do when you have run out of medicine.
Keep your medicine list to what you still take, and add how many are left plus the pack expiry. Turn notifications on, and Pillbo can flag a medicine that is running low or due to expire.
Those alerts need the stock and expiry saved, with notifications switched on. Pillbo keeps that list, and it will not tell you whether a medicine should be returned.
After you drop them off
- Cross the returned medicines off the list of what you still take.
- If you still need one you returned, arrange a new supply with your prescriber or pharmacist.
- If a dose was already taken from an expired pack, check with a pharmacist or doctor before the next one.
Common questions
How do I dispose of expired medicines in Australia?
Take them to any participating community pharmacy and ask for the Return Unwanted Medicines bin. The service is free.
Can I throw old medicines in the bin?
No. Take them to a participating pharmacy, because binning or flushing them can harm people and the environment.
Do I have to return medicines to the pharmacy that dispensed them?
Any pharmacy in the Return Unwanted Medicines program can take them.
Can needles go in the pharmacy medicine bin?
No. Put sharps in a sharps container, and ask the pharmacist or your local council where to take it.
Sources
- Safe disposal of unwanted medicines, Therapeutic Goods Administration
- Out-of-date medicines, healthdirect
- Frequently asked questions, Return Unwanted Medicines
- National Return and Disposal of Unwanted Medicines (NatRUM) Program, Department of Health, Disability and Ageing
