Medication Information

Year-Round Drop-Off for Used Medications

Residents of Lorain County can now drop off medications at select sites. 
Please view the Drop-Off for Used Medications (PDF) for more information.

Pill Bottle Recycling

Empty pill bottles larger than 3" in size can be recycled in your curbside recycling.

Hospital and Pharmacy Collections

Cleveland Clinic provides a safe method for disposal of medications that are expired or no longer needed. Cleveland Clinic has drop boxes at its Northeast Ohio locations. See more about the medication Disposal Kiosks. 
Any approved prescription medications are accepted, including aerosols, liquids in sealed containers, tablets, capsules, creams and lotions. Disposal kiosks are available during regular pharmacy hours.

Walgreens offers the Safe Medication Disposal Program at its Northeast Ohio locations. 
Any prescription medications, ointments & patches, OTC medications, lotions & liquids, 
pet medications/vitamins, and inhalers are accepted.
Drop-box receptacles at local Walgreens pharmacies are available during regular pharmacy hours.

Sharps

In Lorain County there are options for disposing of sharps generated from personal use. Proper preparation and disposal are important to avoid injury to yourself and others.
The following guidelines apply to sharps you use at home and to needles and syringes you might find around your home.

If you find a syringe or needle, do not pick it up with your bare hands. Use a glove and tongs, shovel or broom and dustpan to pick it up.

Always place used sharps and syringes in a safe container. This can be a manufactured sharps container or a 2-liter plastic pop bottle. Make sure the lid is secured and placed in your regular trash container.

Do not break the needle off from the syringe. Needles can carry HIV, hepatitis and other germs. If the needle gets broken off from a syringe you have personally used, pull the plunger out of the barrel, put the needle in the barrel, and then replace the plunger. 


Please, do not flush needles or syringes down the toilet!


For additional details on disposal of generated sharps, see these guidelines from the U.S. EPA.

Sharps

Place in your regular trash container.