Pharmaceutical waste (both human and veterninary) should be returned exclusively to community pharmacies. The outer box and paper leaflet should be removed and disposed of according to normal waste management schemes. This applies also to empty glass bottles and blisters. Used needles and sharps should be collected in a syringe container (for sale at community pharmacies) and should be collected in the municipal container park as biohazard waste
Link : joint initiative on medicines take back in Belgium
No information available regarding a disposal scheme for pharmaceutical waste, If you have new information regarding this country please help us improve this website by submitting through here
Pharmaceutical waste is collected free of charge by community pharmacies, health centres, medical practices and recycling centres. In some pharmacies pharmaceutical waste is collected by personnel while in others waste can be deposited in special containers. Before depositing pharmaceutical waste in containers, consumers are asked to read instructions posted in the pharmacy. Sharps are collected only by health centres and medical practices; in exceptional cases when consumers deposit sharps in unsorted municipal waste (which is in principle prohibited), they are recommended to deliver them in hard plastic containers
Link : Ministry of Environmental and Nature Protection, Source: national internet portal on recycling
No information available regarding a disposal scheme for pharmaceutical waste, If you have new information regarding this country please help us improve this website by submitting through here
Pharmaceutical waste (human and veterinary) should be returned to community pharmacies (preferrably in original packages). Needles and sharps can also be returned to pharmacies (in approved sharps containers, which can be obtained at the pharmacy). All mercury, including mercury-containing preparations, thermometers and batteries should be returned separately. Empty plastic containers, glass vials or blisters should be disposed with normal glass or mixed waste
Link : The Association of Danish Pharmacies
Pharmaceutical waste can be taken to any community pharmacy or disposal point designated by your municipality. Both collect also sharps (needles and syringes), which should be returned in a separate container.
Link : Finnish Medicines Agency
Unused and expired medicines should be returned to community pharmacies, where they are collected through Cyclamed, the French collection scheme (focusing on human medicinal products sold in community pharmacies). The medicines outer packaging and leaflet are to be disposed in the regular household waste and recycling programs.
Sharps (needles and syringes) should be returned in community pharmacies in special containers provided by community pharmacies to patients, to enter into a different collection scheme called DASTRI.
Link : Cyclamed, national collection scheme website
The different disposal routes for drugs and medicines in Germany are environmentally conscious and safe. As general household waste is incinerated in most parts of Germany (>80%), disposal of unused or expired medicine through general waste is in most areas the safest and recommended route. In no case does this waste go untreated to a landfill. Only in some areas or special cases, the Hazardous Waste disposal routes or returning to a pharmacy are recommended. For detailed information, please see the link attached.
Link : Drug disposal done right!
Pharmaceutical waste (such as painkillers), medical waste (such as syringes or surgical gloves) and containers for medicines may possibly be returned to your local pharmacy, which can dispose of them properly. Many pharmacies may take back unwanted or expired medicines, but they are not legally obliged to do so. The HSE (Health Service Executive) has teamed up with pharmacies to organise take-back initiatives in the past. Some local authorities organise mobile collections, where hazardous waste can be left at a central point. Contact your local authority for further details.
Link : Citizens Information Board
Pharmaceutical waste should be returned to community pharmacies without the outer packaging and the package leaflet.
Link : Assinde
Pharmaceutical waste can be returned to the majority of community pharmacies, however not all pharmacies can accept pharmaceutical waste.
Unused or expired medicines are hazardous waste that must not be thrown in the common trash. They can be brought to pharmacies and medical practices. Households can also hand them over at a separate collection of hazardous waste organized in municipalities twice a year.
Link : Health Department
Pharmaceutical waste should be returned to community pharmacies; all community pharmacies accept unused medicines from citizens.
Link : Ministry of Health
Civic Amenity sites are facilities where the public can bring and discard various types of bulky household waste, domestic hazardous waste as well as recyclable materials. Civic Amenity sites also cater for the disposal of expired medicines and used syringes
Link : WasteServ Malta Ltd., company responsible for waste management
Pharmaceutical waste should be returned to community pharmacies. Pharmacies in 95% of the municipalities have local agreements on the collection of expired and non-used medicines, as well as sharps and syringes.
Link : Dutch government, KNMP, Dutch pharmacists association
Pharmaceutical waste should be returned to community pharmacies, which are obliged to collect unused medicines from individual patients/consumers. Pharmacies do not collect other kind of waste from patients.
Link : helsenorge.no
Pharmaceutical waste can be returned to most pharmacies/pharmacy points or to special hazardous waste collection points established by the municipality (located for example in the hospitals). Pharmacies and pharmacy points participate in the collection of unwanted/expired medicinal products voluntarily and the information on collection points can be found on the websites of municipal offices. The offices ensure the export and utilization of the pharmaceutical waste. Sharp medical waste (needles, syringes) are collected in separate collection points for municipal waste (so-called PSZOK).
Link : Ministry of Health, Ministry of Climate and Environment
Portugal has a national collection system for unused pharmaceuticals (human and veterinary medicines) called SIGREM – Sistema Integrado de Recolha de Embalagens e Medicamentos fora de uso. This system is managed by Valormed. The system covers household pharmaceutical waste, and since 2007 has been extended to veterinary pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical packaging produced during industrial or distributor activity, and packaging from hospital pharmacies and other health providers, such as community pharmacists.
Link : Valormed, responsible for national disposal of pharmaceutical waste
According to Ministerial Order no 994/2018: "Pharmaceutical waste should be collected by community pharmacies". These will need to ensure that the information about free collection of expired medicines is visible for the patients.
Link : Ministry of Health, health law
Pharmaceutical waste is collected separately and in original packaging by municipal waste collection centres, by pharmacies, by specialised stores or during specific campaigns by authorised collectors of medical waste, all at no cost to the individual consumer. Paper containers and instruction leaflets are collected as waste paper. Sharps (used needles) used by individuals are classified and collected as waste metal in waste collection centres; it is recommended that they are delivered to the waste collection centre in closed plastic containers. Pharmacies are not allowed to collect sharps, medical technical accessories, chemicals, radiopharmaceutical products or blood and plasma products.
Link : Regulation on pharmaceutical waste , Slovene Chamber of Pharmacy
Pharmaceutical waste should be returned to community pharmacies. Empty packaging and leftover medicines that are no longer needed or have expired can be left in SIGRE containers at the pharmacy. Needles, syringes, gause, thermometers, radiographs, chemical products and batteries are out of scope of the SIGRE collection scheme. Veterinary medicines are also excluded.
Link : SIGRE, national scheme for household medicines disposal
All remaining drugs must be submitted to a pharmacy. From there, they are sent to approved facilities for the incineration of drugs. Medicines should never be thrown away with household waste or flushed down the toilet. Empty pharmaceutical packaging such as blisters, cartons and cans must be sorted and disposed of as other packaging in accordance with the rules in force in your municipality. If the packaging contains visible drug residues or if it is difficult to determine, it should be returned to pharmacies along with the leftover medicines.
Link : Swedish Medical Products Agency
