CC SR 20210406 E - Prescription Drug Drop Off
CITY COUNCIL MEETING DATE: 04/06/2021
AGENDA REPORT AGENDA HEADING: Consent Calendar
AGENDA TITLE:
Consideration and possible action to receive and file a report on safe prescription drug
disposal.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
(1) Receive and file a report on safe prescription drug disposal.
FISCAL IMPACT: None
Amount Budgeted: N/A
Additional Appropriation: N/A
Account Number(s): N/A
ORIGINATED BY: McKenzie Bright, Administrative Analyst
REVIEWED BY: Karina Bañales, Deputy City Manager
APPROVED BY: Ara Mihranian, AICP, City Manager
BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSION:
Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to
accidental poisoning, overdose, and abuse. Furthermore, improper disposal can
potentially cause environmental impacts. The public is urged to safely drop off unused
prescription drugs at public disposal locations. Saving unused or expired medications
can lead to improper and illegal use if they fall into the wrong hands. A safer solution is
to immediately dispose of all prescription and over-the-counter medicine as soon as it
expires or when it is no longer needed.
The best way to dispose of most types of unused or expired medicines is to drop off the
medicine at a drug take-back site, location, or program immediately. If you cannot get to
a drug take-back location promptly and your medicine is on the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) flush list, you should flush potentially dangerous medicine down
the toilet. If your medicine is not on the flush list, you should mix the medicine with dirt
and seal it in a container before discarding it in your trash at home.
Before discarding any medicine, review any specific disposal instructions from your
health care provider. Follow any directions provided and contact your health care
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provider or pharmacist with any disposal questions. Before disposing of any bottles or
medication packaging, make sure all personal information has been removed , including
name and prescription number.
Locating Drug Take-Back Sites and Programs
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) collects and safely disposes of all
medications dropped off at all drug-take back sites. The DEA maintains a list of
permanent collection sites on the Diversion Control Division website, or residents can
call 1-800-882-9539.
Staff has confirmed with the following nearby locations that they are currently accepting
unused or expired medications as permanent collection sites. These receptacles are
available for drop-off during business hours.
Store Name Address Phone Number
Pavilions 7 Peninsula Center, RHE (310) 541-1915
Walgreen’s 4142 Pacific Coast Highway, Torrance (310) 375-9019
Vons 24325 Crenshaw Blvd, Torrance (310) 784-1025
Vons 1440 West 25th Street, San Pedro (310) 832-0319
Before disposing of prescription medicines, be sure to remove all personal information
on bottle labels and medicine packaging. All medicines dropped off at the take-back
locations will be destroyed, including medicines that contain controlled substances.
The DEA also hosts National Prescription Drug Take-Back events in April and October.
Visit DEATakeBack.com for participating collection sites. The next National Drug Take
Back event is on April 24, 2021, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Staff will share additional
information on the City website.
The L.A. City S.A.F.E. (Solvents/Automotive/Flammables/Electronics) Collection Center
is also available for disposal weekly, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday
at 1400 N. Gaffey Street in San Pedro. L.A. County organizes additional weekly mobile
collection events throughout the county; call 1-888-CLEANLA, or visit CleanLA.com for
other collection locations.
Household Hazardous Waste/Electronic Waste Roundup Event
Medications can also be disposed of at household hazardous waste (HHW) events.
The City hosts an annual HHW and e-waste disposal event. This year’s roundup is on
Saturday, May 1, 2021 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the RPV Civic Center. Staff has reached
out to EDCO to discuss costs for including medication collection at this upcoming event
and other waste collection events, such as the City’s shredding events which is
scheduled for April 17, 2021.
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Home Disposal of Medications
If it is not possible to dispose of medications at a permanent collection site, check the
FDA’s flush list to see if your medicine could be flushed. Medicines on the flush list are
sought after for their misuse and/or abuse potential and can result in death from one
dose if inappropriately taken.
Only flush medicine if unable to reach a permanent collection site and the medication is
on the flush list. Products on the flush list include drugs that contain opioids, including
drugs that contain the word fentanyl or hydrocodone, as well as certain other drugs.
Remove the flush-listed medicine from all packaging and flush the medicine down the
sink or toilet. Remove all personal information from the packaging before recycling it.
If your medication is not on the flush list and does not have any specific disposal
instructions in the medication guide or package insert, you can follow t hese steps to
dispose of most medicines in your trash at home:
1. Mix medicines (liquid or pills, do not crush tablets or capsules) with an
unappealing substance such as dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds;
2. Place is the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag;
3. Throw away the container in your trash at home; and
4. Remove and destroy all personal information on the prescription label of empty
medicine bottles or medicine packaging before disposing of it.
All of the above information and links to additional resources are available on the City
website at rpvca.gov/1379/Prescription-Drug-Disposal
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