Pharmaceuticals Disposal

Learn how to dispose of pharmaceuticals (medicinal drugs) used in research that are NOT controlled substances.

• Are you in the right place?
  • For controlled substances, see How to Dispose of Controlled Substances.
  • For personal medications, see Household Hazardous Waste Medication Waste Disposal.

Use the Online Waste Tag Program (OTP)

The OTP is UC San Diego's Online Waste Tracking Program.

When you enter information about a waste chemical into the OTP, it generates a completed waste tag ready for you to print and attach to your container. Use the OTP's collection request feature when you're ready for a waste pickup.

• See How to Use Hazardous Waste Tags for more information about the Online Waste Tag Program.

How to use the OTP to dispose of pharmaceuticals

Step 1:

• If you are new to the OTP, contact the EH&S Environmental Management Facility, (858) 534-2753, to get an OTP account. Note: You will need a Business Systems account user name and password to use the OTP.
• When your OTP account is established, proceed to step 2.

Step 2:

• Go to the Online Waste Tag Program and create a waste tag. For "Indicate type of content," select Chemical Waste.
• When you press the "Add" button to search for and add your chemical, the Search Chemical screen appears.
  • On the Search Chemical screen, enter the name of the drug or search for “expired pharmaceutical.“ (See the screen shot below.) Select EXPIRED PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS to add it to your chemical waste tag.
    
    
• Complete all remaining required information to create your chemical waste tag.
• Print the tag: At page botton, select "Save and Print Tag" from the drop-down menu and press the Submit button to print the tag.
• Attach the tag to your waste container.

Step 3:

• Use the OTP's Request Pickup feature to have the waste collected on the next regularly scheduled collection day.