How to Dispose of Artificial Teardrops

People who have old or expired prescription drugs are faced with a conundrum. While you don't want to risk a toddler or child finding the drugs in the trash and ingesting them, throwing them down a drain or into the toilet can pollute water supplies. Artificial teardrops, a medication used to treat dry or irritated eyes, tend to have fewer harmful chemicals than most prescription drugs, but some have preservatives, such as benzalkonium chloride or silver sulfate, that can pollute the water supply.

Instructions

• 1

  Call your local pharmacy, or the pharmacy from which you obtained the teardrops. Inquire about a drug disposal program and, if the pharmacy participates, drop off the unused artificial teardrops according to the pharmacist's instructions.

• 2

  Inquire at your municipal or county board of health about disposing of unused medications. Many government boards run regular prescription disposal events. Store the eye drops in a safe location until the date arrives.

• 3

  Screw the lid tightly on the eye drops and dispose of them in the trash. This isn't the preferred way when alternatives exist, but is an acceptable action if there are no prescription drug disposal programs in your community.