What Makes Deterra Different?
One Standard Should Matter: Results
Not All Drug Disposal Products are Created Equal
Many products claim to make drugs unusable, but their methods lack validation and leave
risks behind. Only Deterra® is scientifically proven to permanently deactivate drugs—
meeting the highest safety standard.
It’s Not Destroyed if It’s Not Deterra
- Our technology is protected by 7 U.S. patents and 19 international patents and cannot be replicated by others.
- Developed under a federal contract with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Deterra has been independently tested and proven to deactivate drugs.
- We don’t just mask medications in a gel or liquid; our patented approach completely destroys pills, patches, liquids, creams and films.
- Deterra is the only carbon-based product that contains sufficient activated carbon to deactivate the amount of medication per label claims.
Deterra Destroys Unused Medication in 3 Easy Steps
The patented Deterra® System deactivates prescription drugs, pills, patches, liquids, creams and films. Deterra renders them inert, unavailable for misuse and safe for the environment. In a simple 3-step process, a user deactivates the drugs by putting them in a Deterra pouch or container, adding water, shaking and throwing it away. It’s truly that simple.
Place Medication in Pouch
Open pouch and place unused medications inside.
Fill Halfway with Water
Fill halfway with warm water and wait 30 seconds. Foaming may occur.
Seal, Shake & Dispose in Trash
Seal tightly, gently shake and dispose of in normal trash.
Peer-reviewed publications
Nature (2020)
Nature (2020)
Research published in Nature shows that Deterra reached more than 99% deactivation of all drugs by the end of a 28-day period.
Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy (2018)
Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy (2018)
A study published in Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy found an average of 98.72% of medications were adsorbed by activated carbon within 8 hours and continued to do so over time. At the end of the 28-day study, more than 99.99% of all drugs were deactivated.
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis (2018)
Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis (2018)
Research published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis examined the deactivation efficiency of the Deterra System and found more than 99% drug deactivation achieved after 24 hours.
Pharmaceutics (2016)
Pharmaceutics (2016)
A study published in Pharmaceutics tested the deactivation efficiency of Deterra System with three model psychoactive drugs. By the end of 28 days, over 99% of all drugs were deactivated.
Pharmaceutical Research (2016)
Pharmaceutical Research (2016)
A study published in Pharmaceutical Research found that deactivation systems containing activated carbon are promising for efficient, safe and environment friendly disposal of unused and expired medications.
Educational Resources
Blog
Our blog shares tips, insights, and updates on safe medication disposal, helping communities stay informed and proactive.
Case Studies
Case studies highlighting how organizations use Deterra to improve medication disposal and reduce drug misuse.
Videos
Watch our videos for easy, practical tips on safely disposing of medications and protecting your community.
Trusted by organizations nationwide
