Q: Our family medicine cabinet contains a lot of expired prescription and over-the- counter medicines. What’s the best way to dispose of them?
A: You are smart to be concerned about this. When we flush medications or throw them in the trash, they can end up polluting our waterways because they are sometimes difficult to remove from water using conventional water-treatment methods. As a result, trace amounts of drugs can negatively impact fish reproduction, contribute to antibiotic resistance and even end up in our drinking water. Follow these guidelines for safely disposing of outdated and unwanted medication:
If disposal instructions are provided with the patient information, follow those instructions.
Do not flush drugs down the toilet or pour down the sink, as this can pollute the water supply.
Check with your local pharmacy, hospital or law-enforcement agency for a drug take-back program.
If no program is available, empty pills into a Ziplock bag and mix with an undesirable substance (dirt, used coffee grounds, clean cat litter). Seal the bag and discard it in the garbage.
Before discarding the empty bottle, use a permanent marker to mark through the label to protect your personal information.
—Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Missouri Department of Health
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Health Connection, Sept 2016
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