How can we safely dispose of unused prescription medications?

The pharmacy won't take them back. We had been flushing them, but this is very bad for the environment, not to mention impossible to filter out of the waer system. And putting them in the landfill seems like a bad idea as well. Does anyone have any ideas on what we can do? I work at an adult residential program, in New York and we often have this problem. Ideally, i would love for the meds to be used by someone who needs them as it is a HUGE waste of money. But this isn't allowed by my job.
Answer:
The government's new policy includes:

* Take unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers
* Mix the prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, like used coffee grounds or kitty litter, and put them in impermeable, non-descript containers, such as empty cans or sealable bags, further ensuring that the drugs are not diverted or accidentally ingested by children or pets
* Throw these containers in the trash
* Flush prescription drugs down the toilet only if the accompanying patient information specifically instructs it is safe to do so
* Return unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs to pharmaceutical take-back locations that allow the public to bring unused drugs to a central location for safe disposal


Please see my source below for more information.

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