Safe Medication Disposal Tips
If you open the average American medicine cabinet, it is not uncommon to see expired drugs or drugs that are no longer used regularly by their owner. Expired or unused drugs can pose a safety risk, particularly for people who have young children in the house. Unfortunately, many people are uncertain as to how to safely dispose of medications and, as a result, often keep old or unused medications in the home for months or even years.
In order to decrease the risk associated with keeping drugs in the home unnecessarily, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides consumers with tips regarding how to safely dispose of medications. Some of them include the following:
- Check the medication’s label or patient information inserts to see whether there any instructions regarding disposal. If there are, follow them closely. Do not flush medications down the toilet or sink unless instructed to by the information accompanying the medication.
- Many communities have programs allowing the public to take unused drugs to a specific location for disposal. You can call your local law enforcement agency to check to see if they have a drug take-back program that you may be able to take advantage of. In addition, concerned consumers can also contact their local recycling and trash collection service for more information about medication disposal options in the community.
- Another way to safely dispose of used or expired medications is to transfer them to collectors registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Check to see whether your local retail, hospital, or clinic pharmacies are authorized collectors or have programs in place to take back unused drugs.
If there are no instructions regarding disposal accompanying your medications and you cannot find a take-back program in your community, the FDA recommends that you throw the drugs in your household trash while taking the following precautions:
- Take the medication out of its original container and mix them with a substance that makes them undesirable to humans and animals, such as kitty litter, coffee grounds, sand, or dirt.
- Place the mixture of drugs and whatever substance you have chosen to mix them with into a sealable bag, can, or other container to prevent it from leaking out of the trash bag.
Contact Kress Specialty Apothecary Today to Discuss Your Pharmaceutical Needs
At Kress Specialty Apothecary, we offer our customers personalized attention and services that you simply cannot find at the large retail pharmacy chains. To learn more about our services and products, please stop in or give us a call today.