Fentanyl Storage and Disposal

How Should I Dispose of Fentanyl?

All fentanyl products should be disposed of as soon as you no longer need them. Do not save them for later use. The instructions for disposing of fentanyl will vary, depending on the specific product you use. Also, unused and partially used medication may have different disposal instructions.

In general, unused fentanyl medication can be flushed down the toilet after being removed from the individual packages, except for fentanyl sublingual spray (Subsys) and fentanyl nasal spray (Lazanda). For these products, unused sprays must be emptied into the provided disposal containers, which are then sealed shut and thrown into the trash.

The fentanyl patch (Duragesic) should folded in half so the sticky sides stick together before being flushed. Fentanyl lozenge (Actiq) should be cut from its handle prior to being flushed.

Used fentanyl patches should also be folded in half and flushed down the toilet. When empty, the fentanyl sublingual spray and fentanyl nasal spray bottles are placed into a provided disposal container and thrown away in the trash (out of the reach of children and pets). Other fentanyl products that are partially consumed (which may happen if you have to remove the medication from your mouth because you feel sick, dizzy, or drowsy) are usually rinsed down the sink. Follow the specific disposal instructions for your individual medication.

Click the following articles for more information about how to dispose of your specific fentanyl product: