CDSCO Warns: 17 Drugs Must Be Flushed If Expired or Unused

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) has recently issued guidelines about 17 medicines. These medicines—if expired, unwanted, or not in use—should be flushed down the sink or toilet immediately.

It has come to light that if taken by mistake, even a small dose can have dangerous or even fatal effects.

Why Only These Medicines

As per PharmaBiz, most of the listed drugs are opioids used to treat anxiety, pain, or other serious conditions. They are considered highly potent and harmful if misused. That is why, once they expire or are no longer needed, it is important not to leave them lying around.

The list includes commonly prescribed drugs like diazepam (Valium), morphine, fentanyl, and others that could be deadly if taken the wrong way. Here’s the full list of the 17 medicines flagged by CDSCO:

The CDSCO stated that if these medicines are taken by someone else—like a child, an immunocompromised adult, a curious pet, or anyone other than the person it was prescribed for—it could lead to life-threatening consequences. Even a single dose, they said, could be lethal in such cases.

Flushing is a way to prevent this from happening. It helps ensure these drugs do not end up in the wrong hands or get used for self-harm or drug abuse. Doctors have said the government recommended flushing because these drugs mostly include narcotics that are addictive and prone to abuse.

What About the Environment

Some people have raised concerns about flushing medicines and their impact on the environment.

Disposing of drugs this way can affect water quality and harm aquatic life if done on a large scale or for the wrong medicines. Improper disposal of medicines is known to cause drugs to leak into water sources, which, according to a Times of India report, fuels the growth of diseases resistant to multiple drugs.

However, the CDSCO clarified that this specific list of 17 medicines is an exception. For other medicines that are expired or unused, people are advised not to flush them. Instead, they should be returned through proper disposal programs under the “drug take-back” program or similar systems set up by local health departments.

The Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, allow state governments to coordinate with local bodies to develop systems for the safe collection and disposal of expired medicines. This step not only avoids environmental harm but also ensures safe handling of unused drugs.

Why This Matters

Keeping expired or leftover medicine at home may seem harmless, but it can lead to serious accidents. With this move, drug regulators hope to reduce that risk and make people more aware of safe disposal practices. By simply flushing these 17 specific drugs, you could be preventing a major mishap.

(Rh/Pooja Bansal/MSM/SE)