FDA to Address Unused Opioids in American Homes

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public comment on potential new standards for in-home opioid disposal products.  This effort is part of the agency’s broader work to combat the opioid crisis.  Companies selling opioid analgesics are currently required to make available prepaid mail-back envelopes to outpatient pharmacies and other dispensers.  Now, the agency is considering whether to require that opioid sponsors, through dispensers, make available in-home disposal systems.

“Having unused opioids laying around at home can be a significant risk to those struggling with opioids and can be a gateway for opioid-naïve family members,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H.  “We need to develop creative ways to address opioid misuse and abuse.”

At present, FDA recommends dropping off unused opioids at a drug take-back location or mailing them back using a pre-paid envelope provided by a pharmacy.  Alternatively, the FDA recommends flushing unused opioids down the toilet (something the agency only recommends for certain high-risk medications).  A 2017 study in the Science of Total Environment concluded that flushing unused opioids presents a “negligible eco-toxicological risk.”  Today’s RFI seeks input from industry, health care providers, and advocates on appropriate criteria for in-home disposal kits.  This aligns with the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025, which mandates the FDA to issue guidance to facilitate in-home safe disposal, as well as President Trump’s Great American Recovery initiative.  Responses to the RFI are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on April 6, 2026.  All interested parties are invited to submit comments to the docket.