Under no circumstances should you dispose of medicines in the toilet or waste water, not even liquid medicines!

1. "Normal" old medication

Disposal with the residual waste?

Non-hazardous old medicines can be disposed of directly in the residual waste garbage can under the following conditions,

• if there is no doubt that they are non-hazardous old medicines (e.g. cytostatic and cytotoxic medicines are hazardous, see under 2.),
• if the residual waste is disposed of directly in a waste incineration plant, which is the case in Erlangen,
• if syringes are in puncture-proof packaging (e.g. taped glass jar with screw cap).

Disposal at the hazardous waste collection point or at pharmacies

Consumers can hand in their old medicines at the waste transfer station. Safe storage and incineration are guaranteed here. Many pharmacies also take back old medicines. However, pharmacies are not obliged to take them back.

2. hazardous medicines

Dispose of them separately!

Ointments containing mercury, cytotoxics and cytostatics (drugs for cancer treatment) must be handled and disposed of in a special way due to their potential risk to water and soil:

• Such medicines do not belong in the residual waste!
• They must be handed in at the waste transfer station.
• In individual cases, they can be returned to a pharmacist, doctor or hospital.

How do you recognize a dangerous medicine?

• Hazardous medicines are labeled on the carton: "Unused medicines or waste material must be disposed of in accordance with national requirements."
• They are used to treat cancer, for example.

If in doubt, ask at a pharmacy or your doctor.

With or without packaging?

Old medicines and leftover medicines must generally be disposed of together with the packaging (glass vials, transparent packaging/blisters, etc.). Liquid medicines must also not be emptied down the drain.

Cardboard packaging and leaflets should be disposed of as waste paper. Inner packaging that has already been emptied is packaging waste. It can also be recycled. Dispose of it in the yellow garbage can or the yellow bag.

Consumer information

Many active pharmaceutical ingredients are highly soluble in water and cannot be retained in conventional sewage treatment plants, or only partially. It is therefore very important to avoid the discharge of pharmaceuticals. Medicines - whether in tablet or drop form - should never be discharged into the sewage system via sinks or toilets. The correct disposal of used medicines is an important contribution

• to relieving the burden on water and soil
• to the reduction of pharmaceutical residues.

Further tips on disposal

• For safety reasons, medicines should be placed in the bin liners used in the household and then tightly sealed.
• Your residual waste garbage can is emptied every two weeks. Therefore, please do not throw your old medication into the garbage can just before it is emptied, as the medication will otherwise be easily accessible.
  
  

Disposal at the waste transfer station

The Erlangen waste transfer station also accepts old medicines and other harmful substances.

Here: Information about the waste transfer station at the harbor

Pharmaceuticals in the environment

It is estimated that several thousand tons of pharmaceutical waste are produced every year. Several hundred tons of this is improperly disposed of in wastewater. This is how they end up in our waters and soil. This has an impact on the ecosystem and on the development of resistance to pathogens in humans. This environmental damage can be prevented by disposing of old medicines properly.

Storing medicines safely

Medicines must be stored correctly and safely: please store them away from light, in a dry and possibly cool place. Medicines do not belong in the hands of children. They should be stored in such a way that unauthorized persons have no access to them.

Buy consciously instead of disposing of them unused

Choose the right pack size. Opened medicines cannot be exchanged! Please inform yourself carefully about the ingredients and side effects before buying. The package leaflet provides information here. And seek advice from your doctor or pharmacy.