What you need to know:

The EPA identifies chemicals, including medications, as hazardous based on four attributes: toxicity, reactivity, ignitability, and corrosivity. Drugs that meet these definitions may be P-listed (harmful even in small quantities) or U-listed (potentially harmful, but not acutely so).

The list of hazardous pharmaceuticals includes the obvious, like chemotherapy agents, but also more commonly prescribed drugs like warfarin, coumadin, vaccines that contain thimerosal, insulins containing m-cresol, and even some multivitamins.

Steps for safe disposal:

To comply with federal, state, and local regulations, any hazardous pharmaceutical, regardless of whether it’s P-listed or U-listed, must be disposed of through a licensed vendor. These vendors use either an incinerator or a sanitary landfill for toxic waste to dispose of hazardous drugs. More information on hazardous waste, including the EPA’s lists of P-listed and U-listed pharmaceuticals can be found here.