Where do I get rid of used pens in Canada?
Take them to a pharmacy. Put used needles, and pens if your leaflet says so, in a puncture-resistant sharps container. Never put them in the garbage or recycling. A national take-back group runs free sharps returns at pharmacies in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Elsewhere, ask your pharmacist.
Where do needles and pens go?
In a sharps container: the Health Products Stewardship Association says never to put used sharps "in the garbage or recycling".1
Loose sharps can cause needle-stick injuries and spread infections, the association warns.1 The association (HPSA) is a national not-for-profit. Its take-back accepts pen needles and "prefilled auto-injectors and pen injectors", in a free container from a participating location. You can also use another approved container. Put each used needle in it straight after the injection, and keep it out of reach of children and pets. When it is full, close it permanently and return it.1 Its sharps programs run in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. It lists more than 8,000 drop-off locations, at participating pharmacies and other sites.1 HPSA's website has a drop-off finder, and its phone line is 1-844-535-8889.1 In other provinces, ask your pharmacy or municipality.
What do the pen leaflets say?
Ozempic's leaflet says to throw away the empty pen "without a needle on as instructed by your doctor, nurse, pharmacist or local authorities".2
Zepbound's and Mounjaro's monographs say to discard the KwikPen after its 4 weekly doses "in a puncture-resistant container, or in accordance with local requirements".3,4 Never share a pen, even with a new needle.2
What about leftover medicine?
Don't put unused medicine down the drain or in household waste; the Ozempic leaflet says to ask your pharmacist how to throw it away.2
HPSA also runs free medicine take-back at participating pharmacies in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. It says never to flush medicines, pour them down the sink or throw them in the garbage.6 Return medicines separately: they don't go in your sharps container.1 If a pen is recalled or faulty, ask the pharmacy before you dispose of it, because it may want it back. Health Canada also asks people to return unauthorized products, like "research peptides", to a pharmacy.5 Storage limits are in How long can Ozempic be out of the fridge?
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Related questions
Sources
- Health Products Stewardship Association. Returning medical sharps ("Never place used medical sharps in the garbage or recycling"; free sharps containers at participating locations; accepts "Prefilled auto-injectors and pen injectors" and pen tips; sharps programs in Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island; "8,000+ drop-off locations"). Checked 12 Oct 2026. healthsteward.ca
- Novo Nordisk Canada. Ozempic (semaglutide injection) Product Monograph, 13 Jul 2026 (made "by recombinant DNA technology in Saccharomyces cerevisiae"; storage: before first use 2–8 °C, after first use 8 weeks below 30 °C or refrigerated, "Do not freeze… do not use… if it has been frozen", keep the cap on; adverse reactions Table 2: nausea 17.0% on 0.5 mg and 19.9% on 1 mg vs 6.3% on comparator; low blood sugar with a sulfonylurea or insulin; retinopathy complications 3.0% vs 1.8%; stop at least 2 months before a planned pregnancy; disposal and Canada Vigilance wording). pdf.hres.ca (PDF)
- Eli Lilly Canada. Zepbound (tirzepatide injection) Product Monograph, 11 Jun 2026 (indications: BMI 30 or more, or 27 to under 30 with a weight-related condition; moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with BMI 30 or more; nausea 24.6–29.0% on 5–15 mg vs 8.5% on placebo; cholecystitis 0.6% vs 0.2%; oral contraceptives: switch or add a barrier method for 4 weeks after starting and after each dose increase; "The ZEPBOUND multi-dose KwikPen contains 4 doses"; unrefrigerated up to 30 °C for up to 30 days; do not freeze; discard "in a puncture-resistant container, or in accordance with local requirements"; not recommended with other tirzepatide products or GLP-1 RAs). pdf.hres.ca (PDF)
- Eli Lilly Canada. Mounjaro (tirzepatide injection) Product Monograph, 23 Jun 2026 (indication: glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes and ages 10 to under 18 with type 2 diabetes; nausea 12.2–18.3% on 5–15 mg vs 4.3% on placebo; contraindicated in pregnancy; KwikPen "delivers four doses", up to 30 days unrefrigerated at no more than 30 °C; single-dose pen or vial up to 21 days; do not freeze; discard "in a puncture-resistant container or in accordance with local requirements"). pdf.hres.ca (PDF)
- Health Canada. Unauthorized injectable peptide drugs seized and sold… may pose serious health risks. Advisory, 1 Aug 2025 (tirzepatide and retatrutide among the products; "Selling unauthorized drugs is illegal in Canada"). recalls-rappels.canada.ca
- Health Products Stewardship Association. Returning medications (free return at participating collection locations, including pharmacies, in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island; "Never flush medications, pour them down the sink or throw them in the garbage"; medical sharps are returned through the separate sharps programme). Checked 12 Oct 2026. healthsteward.ca
Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Oct 2027 · Report an error
How this answer was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above, all checked on 12 Oct 2026. Prices are official list or formulary prices, never a seller's, savings-card or coupon price, and we don't name or rank sellers. Availability, coverage and recall facts are dated because they change. Figures marked as our arithmetic are worked out from those sources. It's general information, not medical advice, and not an advertisement for any medicine. Talk to a doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write