How should wasted medication be handled?

• A. Dispose of wasted medication in the regular trash after noting it in the log.
• B. Waste only per policy with a witness if required, and document the waste.
• C. Flush all waste down the sink.
• D. Return the medication to resident.

Answer: (B)

The important idea is that wasted medications must be disposed of using the facility’s approved method and documented, with a witness if the policy requires it. This protects residents from potential harm or theft, keeps records accurate, and meets safety and regulatory rules, especially for controlled substances. In practice, you follow the facility’s disposal procedure, which may involve a designated waste container or a specific disposal service, and you record the disposal details in the waste log. If the policy requires, have another staff member observe the disposal to provide a witness. After disposal, document what was wasted, how much, when, and who witnessed it.

Disposing in regular trash or flushing down the sink bypasses safeguards and can create safety, legal, and environmental problems, and returning medication to a resident is not appropriate for waste.