How to Safely Dispose of Medication in Kansas City

If you have unused medications in your home, it’s essential to follow safe medication disposal practices to not only prevent overdose, but also protect your loved ones and the environment.1,2 If you’re living in Kansas City and its surrounding area, there are various disposal options to choose from, including take-back locations and events.

In this post, we’ll dive into the best practices for safe drug disposal and where you can drop off your medications in Kansas City.

Why Safe Medication Disposal Matters

If you have unused or expired medications in your home, disposing of them properly by following the FDA’s medication disposal recommendations and participating in prescription take-back programs can all help you and the people you care about stay safe.1

When medications are not disposed of properly, accidental poisoning, drug abuse (especially among teenagers), and harm to landfills and sewers become more likely.2 According to the CDC, in 2020, more than 36,000 emergency department visits among children 5 years and under were due to accidental exposure to medicine.3

This is why it’s vital to follow state and local laws to safely dispose of unneeded and outdated drugs to minimize health risks at home.3

Medication Disposal Laws in Missouri

In Missouri, there are numerous take-back program locations available to make it easy to dispose of your medications.4 Take-back programs are the safest and most effective way to get rid of your prescription drugs, whether it’s at a local pharmacy or police department.4

If you don’t have a take-back location near you, you may be able to flush your unneeded drugs. The FDA has published a “flush list” of medications that can be safely disposed of by flushing them down the toilet if you’re unable to do so otherwise. Not all medications are listed on the flush list — generally, the FDA’s flush list contains medications that are highly misused or abused, or can be fatal from one dose when misused.5

It’s essential to only flush medications that are on the FDA’s flush list.5

Medication Disposal Laws in Kansas

Laws regarding safe drug disposal in Kansas are similar to those in Missouri, making it easy for residents of Kansas City to dispose of unwanted or expired drugs on both sides of the Missouri/Kansas state line.

In addition to providing authorized medication disposal locations, Kansas and Missouri also allow Law Enforcement Agencies to run DEA-sponsored Drug Takeback Days. Residents can drop off controlled and non-controlled substances for safe disposal.6

Where to Drop Off Medications in Kansas City

Thankfully, there are numerous drug drop boxes in and around Kansas City that can help you safely dispose of expired or unwanted medications.4

Typically, you can get rid of unwanted medications on site at retail pharmacies or through prepaid drug mail-back envelopes.7 Law enforcement facilities often have bins that allow area residents to drop off unwanted medications.8

Kansas City Take-Back Initiatives & Events

The Kansas and Missouri areas of Kansas City participate in DEA Drug Take Back days, providing an easy way to dispose of old or unwanted medications.6, 11Residents can check the DEA’s website to learn more about upcoming drug takeback opportunities near them.12

Home Medication Disposal Options

If you’re unable to go to a drug takeback location or drop box, you have options that can help you safely get rid of unwanted or expired medication.

Some of the ways you can dispose of medication at home while reducing the risk of harm to others and/or the environment include:

• Removing the medications from their bottle or other container, and mixing them with an undesirable substance, like kitty litter, coffee grounds, or dirt. Seal them in another container with the additional substance and place them in the trash.9
• Using a drug deactivating pouch. These sealable pouches deactivate drugs using carbon and water, and can be safely disposed of in your household trash.10

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Disposing of Meds

Many people attempt to dispose of medications in the same way they’d dispose of other trash. The most common mistakes include:7

• Throwing them in the household trash can
• Flushing them down the toilet

Doing either of these, however, can lead to both risks for other household members and can contaminate local water supplies with dangerous medications. The FDA recommends that individuals who have unwanted medications dispose of them at a drug take-back station or mail them back to the manufacturer using a prepaid envelope from the company’s drug take-back program.7

Addiction Treatment in Kansas City

If you’re struggling with addiction to prescription drugs or any other substance, you’re not alone. Empowered Recovery Center in Kansas City is here to help you begin your recovery. We understand that many people have questions about what it’s like to go through treatment.

When you reach out to our drug and alcohol rehab in Kansas City, our rehab admissions team will walk you through what you can expect from each phase of treatment. We’ll talk with you about paying for addiction treatment, what you need to know if you’re using insurance for rehab, and how to decide which of our rehab programs might be the right fit for your needs. From partial hospitalization programs to standard outpatient rehab, we ensure our treatments are the right fit for each patient and their unique experience.

Reach out to our team today to verify your benefits and learn more about getting started with addiction treatment.

Sources:

1. Food and Drug Administration. (2024, October 31). Disposal of unused medications: What you should know. FDA. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/safe-disposal-medicines/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know
2. UVA Health. (2025). Drug take-back program: Get rid of unwanted medications. UVA Health. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://uvahealth.com/patients-visitors/pharmacy/drug-take-back
3. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Drug disposal: Questions and answers. FDA. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-questions-and-answers
4. Missouri Public Service Commission. (n.d.). Medications. Missouri PSC. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://missouripsc.org/medications/
5. Food and Drug Administration. (2024, October 31). Drug disposal: FDA’s flush list for certain medicines. FDA. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-fdas-flush-list-certain-medicines
6. Kansas Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. (n.d.). Medication collection & disposal. K-TRACS. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://www.ktracs.ks.gov/pharmacists/medication-collection-disposal
7. Food and Drug Administration. (2025, April 16). Where and how to dispose of unused medicines. FDA. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines
8. Food and Drug Administration. (n.d.). Drug disposal: Drug take-back options. FDA. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://www.fda.gov/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-drug-take-back-options
9. The University of Kansas Health System. (2025). Medication disposal. The University of Kansas Health System. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://www.kansashealthsystem.com/pharmacy-services/medication-disposal
10. Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services. (2017, July 21). Drug disposal pouches donated to keep drugs off streets. Missouri DHSS. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://health.mo.gov/news/newsitem/uuid/dd40546b-6c68-4a96-bc2b-f551b715ca75
11. Missouri Attorney General’s Office. (n.d.). Drugs take back day. Missouri AGO. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://ago.mo.gov/get-help/opioid/drugs-take-back-day/
12. U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration. (n.d.). National prescription drug take back day. DEA. Retrieved September 29, 2025, from https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/takeback.html