How to Throw Away Expired and Leftover Medicines Safely

Take a look in your medicine box. There is probably a syrup with only a little left, tablets past their date, or leftovers from an illness months ago. Many people simply put them in the bin, or keep them forever because they are not sure what to do.

Indonesia's Ministry of Health includes disposal as one of the four steps of DAGUSIBU: get, use, store, and dispose. Medicine thrown away properly will not be found by small children or pets, and cannot be used again by someone it was not meant for.

Which medicines to throw away

• Medicine past its expiry date.
• Medicine that has changed colour, smells odd, or whose tablets have clumped.
• Leftover medicine you no longer use, for example because your doctor changed it.

Do not give your leftover medicine to anyone else, even if their complaint sounds similar. A medicine that suits one person is not always safe for another.

How to dispose of it at home

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gives simple steps for putting medicine in the household rubbish:

1. Take the medicine out of its original container.
2. Mix it with something unappealing, such as used coffee grounds, soil, or cat litter. This makes it unattractive to children and pets, and hard to recognise.
3. Put the mixture in a container that can be sealed, such as a resealable plastic bag or an empty can.
4. Throw the sealed container in your household rubbish.
5. Scratch out your name and personal details on the packaging or label, then throw the packaging away.

Do not flush it

The FDA advises against flushing medicine down the toilet or drain, except for a small number of medicines on its special list. For most medicines found at home, the steps above are enough.

If you are still unsure

The Ministry of Health's DAGUSIBU guidance ends with a simple message: if in doubt, ask at the pharmacy. A Coapotek pharmacist can help you sort out which medicines are still fine to use and which are better thrown away.

In short

• Throw away medicine that is expired, spoiled, or no longer used.
• Mix it with coffee grounds, soil, or cat litter, then seal it in a container.
• Remove personal details from the packaging before throwing it away.
• Do not flush medicine down the toilet or drain.
• Do not give leftover medicine to other people.

Sources

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Where and How to Dispose of Unused Medicines, updated 16 April 2025.
2. Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia, Directorate General of Advanced Health Services. Dapatkan, Gunakan, Simpan, Buang (DAGUSIBU) (Get, use, store, dispose), 19 December 2023.