It happens to all of us – years pass by as you accumulate partially used bottles of medicine – prescription and over-the-counter (OTC).  How should you dispose of these medicines properly?

Resist the urge to flush these medications down the toilet.  According to Dispose My Meds, over 100 pharmaceuticals have been detected in lakes, rivers and other bodies of water.  These traces of medications can affect our health.

However, throwing them in the trash can be unsafe as well, particularly if the home has  young children and/or pets who could accidentally ingest the medications.  Dispose My Meds reports that each year, over 71,000 children under the age of 18 are admitted to Emergency Departments due to accidental overdoses of medications (prescription and OTC).

What to do?

 

For non-narcotics, you can wrap the medications in coffee grounds and seal them in childproof containers.  However, this can be risky for narcotics and other potentially dangerous drugs.

Many cities and towns have annual “take-back” days where citizens can drop off all unwanted medications.  Call your city hall to find out if your city participates.

Additionally, some pharmacies will take back medications as well.  Use the pharmacy locator program at Dispose My Meds to help you find a pharmacy in your community.