Safe Disposal of Your Medications and Supplies
Do you have old medications cluttering your medicine cabinet? Has your doctor changed your prescription, leaving you with a remainder of medicines no longer to be used? Whatever you do, don’t dispose of them in the trash or flush them down the toilet — we’ll take care of the disposal for you, at no cost.
Either bring your old medications in to our pharmacy or arrange to have them collected during your next home visit. As part of the Ontario Medications Return Program, we will dispose of your medications in a safe, confidential, and free manner.
For more information about the program, visit the Canada Health Products Stewardship Association Website. To learn more about Yurek’s procedures or to arrange a disposal, please contact our pharmaceutical team.
Why Bring Your Medications in for Disposal?
Medications left in a cupboard can be accidentally ingested by young children, or taken by someone for whom they’re not prescribed, which can lead to serious health complications.
Throwing medicines in the trash can lead to them being ingested by foraging animals, such as raccoons, cats, or birds; disposing them in the toilet leads to medications being introduced to the environment, potentially contaminating rivers, streams, and lakes, as they are not processed by sewage treatment facilities.
What's Covered?
The following items are covered under the Medications Return Program:
- all prescription drugs;
- over-the-counter medications in oral dosage form (including pills/liquids); and
- natural health products in oral dosage form (including pills/liquids.
This stewardship covers both human and veterinary medications.
