What to do with the deceased's medicines? Don't throw them away!
Introduction
After the death of a loved one, you face many practical tasks. Among them: what to do with the remaining medicines? The temptation is great to quickly throw everything in the bin or down the toilet. Yet this practice is prohibited and dangerous.
Medicines contain active substances that can contaminate soil and groundwater. Flushed down the toilet, they directly pollute our waterways. In household waste, they pose a risk to children and animals. The disposal of medicines therefore requires particular attention.
Fortunately, the solution is simple and free in Switzerland. All pharmacies take back your expired or unused medicines, free of charge and with no obligation to purchase. This procedure guarantees ecological and safe treatment of these special waste products.
This guide explains concretely how to proceed with returning medicines to the pharmacy, which products to bring back, and how to properly prepare this waste for disposal. A simple gesture that protects the environment and everyone's health.
📌 Summary (TL;DR)
Never throw medicines in the bin or down the toilet: they contaminate the environment. Return them free of charge to the pharmacy or recycling centre, whether they are expired or unused. Separate cardboard packaging for selective sorting, but keep blisters and bottles together. After a death, this simple procedure allows you to properly dispose of the deceased's medicines whilst protecting nature.
📚 Table of contents
- Why you should never throw medicines in the bin or down the toilet
- The simple solution: return medicines to the pharmacy
- Which medicines to return?
- How to prepare medicines for return
- The alternatives: recycling centres and collection points
- After a death: sorting the deceased person's medicines
- What happens after collection at the pharmacy
Why you should never throw medicines in the bin or down the toilet
Throwing medicines in household waste or down the toilet presents significant risks for the environment and public health.
The active substances contained in medicines do not degrade naturally. They contaminate groundwater and waterways, with a direct impact on aquatic wildlife. Even sewage treatment plants cannot filter out all these chemical compounds.
At home, medicines thrown in the bin can be accidentally ingested by children or pets. The risks of poisoning are real and avoidable.
The simple solution: return medicines to the pharmacy
In Switzerland, all pharmacies are required to take back your unused or expired medicines free of charge. This service is accessible to everyone, with no obligation to purchase.
Simply present yourself with your medicines. The staff will accept them, whether they are expired or not, with or without a prescription. The pharmacy medicine return functions as a national collection system to guarantee safe medicine disposal.
It's free, simple and accessible in all Swiss municipalities.
Which medicines to return?
All types of medicines can be returned to the pharmacy, without exception:
- Tablets, capsules and pills
- Syrups and oral solutions
- Ointments, creams and gels
- Sprays and inhalers
- Eye drops and drops
- Suppositories and pessaries
- Transdermal patches
This includes expired medicines, opened ones or those whose use you no longer know. When in doubt, return everything: better too much than not enough.
How to prepare medicines for return
Before going to the pharmacy, simple sorting makes recycling easier and reduces the volume of special waste.
This preparation takes a few minutes and contributes to better environmental management. Follow these two practical steps to optimise the return of your medicines.
Separate cardboard packaging
Cardboard boxes and paper leaflets can be recycled with your usual paper. Remove them before returning the medicines to the pharmacy.
This simple gesture considerably reduces the volume of special waste to be treated. The cardboard thus follows the standard selective sorting circuit, which is more ecological and less expensive than specialised incineration.
Keep blisters and bottles together
Keep medicines in their original containers: blisters, bottles, tubes or sachets. Do not empty tablets into a plastic bag.
These packages allow the active substances to be identified and guarantee safe treatment during destruction. Pharmacies can thus correctly sort and direct each type of medicine to the appropriate channels.
The alternatives: recycling centres and collection points
Some municipal recycling centres accept medicines as special waste. Contact your municipality to find out about collection arrangements.
This option can be convenient if you are already going to the recycling centre for other waste. However, the pharmacy remains the simplest and most accessible solution, present in every neighbourhood.
After a death: sorting the deceased person's medicines
After the death of a loved one, gathering their medicines is one of the practical tasks to accomplish. Check the medicine cabinet, bedside table, bathroom and drawers.
This sorting frees up space and avoids confusion with your own medicines. It's also an opportunity to check the expiry dates of your own family pharmacy.
Return everything to the pharmacy in one go. The staff understand the situation and handle these requests with discretion and respect.
What happens after collection at the pharmacy
The collected medicines are centralised then transported to specialised facilities. They are incinerated there at very high temperature, a process that completely neutralises the active substances.
This controlled destruction prevents any environmental contamination. The facilities comply with strict pharmaceutical waste treatment standards, with smoke filtration and regular inspections.
Your gesture of returning your medicines contributes directly to this responsible and ecological management system.
The disposal of the deceased's medicines is a simple but essential gesture to protect the environment and prevent poisoning risks. Never throw them in the bin or down the toilet: these products contain active substances that cause lasting pollution to soil and water.
The solution is within reach: return all unused medicines to the pharmacy, whether they are expired or not, with or without a prescription. Simply remove the cardboard packaging for recycling, and keep the blisters and bottles together. Pharmacies ensure safe and environmentally friendly destruction, at no cost to you.
After a death, sorting through the belongings of the deceased person requires time and energy. If you are going through this ordeal, Funere supports you with administrative procedures by allowing you to publish an obituary online quickly and with dignity, to inform your loved ones and honour their memory.
