Safely disposing of any unused or expired drugs can save a life
“Each year in the United States, approximately 60,000 emergency department (ED) visits and 450,000 calls to poison centers are made after children under 6 years of age find and ingest medication without caregiver oversight. Over twothirds of ED visits for accidental pediatric medication exposures involve 1- or 2-year-old children and nearly 20% result in hospitalization,” according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Do you know how to safely dispose of unused or expired medicines in your home? Taking medicine according to your doctor’s directions can be lifesaving, but when an unsuspecting adult, a child or even a family pet is exposed to some medicines, the results can be life-threatening. Properly removing medicines is easy to do and can give you peace of mind when it comes to your family’s safety and preventing drug abuse.
These three options are recommended by the Food and Drug Administration: Take back locations, flushing, or trash.
The best option for disposing of medications is to find a local take-back location for your unused drugs. On April 24, the DEA Diversion Control Division will be offering the next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. These national efforts are in partnership with local police and authorities and multiple sites will be available for residents to drop off their prescription drugs.
Another option is to find a local permanent collection site. These take-back sites stay open all year long for people to bring medicines to be safe and securely destroyed. Removing unused medicines promptly helps you to maintain a safe environment and to prevent temptation. For to find where to go for local drop-off sites in Garland County, Arkansas visit the FDA’s website at
https://bit.ly/3tG592n. Be sure to remove any personal identification information from any bottles or packaging when dropping off these medications.
If you cannot make it to a take-back location, you can check to see if your medication is on the flush list for immediate disposal. Medicines on the flush list are those sought-after for their misuse and/or abuse potential, and that can result in death from one dose if inappropriately taken. Before flushing any medication, be sure to check if it is on the flush list first! The site
https://bit.ly/3eXVyju will provide you with the list and gives directions for safe disposal.
If no drug take-back locations or drop off days are available in your area and your medication is not on the flush list, you can follow these simple steps recommended by the FDA to dispose of most medicines in your trash at home:
1. Mix medicines (liquid or pills; do not crush tablets or capsules) with an unappealing substance such as dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds. (My family doctor recommended placing the medicine in a partial bottle of diet soda. The soda changed the chemical makeup of the medicines and I can tell you from experience that it was totally unappealing.)
2. Place the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag.
3. Throw away the container in your trash at home.
4. Delete all personal information on the prescription label of empty medicine bottles or medicine packaging, then trash or recycle the empty bottle or packaging.
This week is National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week and knowing the facts about drug and alcohol abuse as well as how to protect your family could save the life of someone you love. If you would like more information on drug abuse prevention or healthy living or if you need assistance with being able to locate a take back location near you, contact the Garland County Cooperative Extension Service at 501-623-6841 or email acrane@uada.edu.
ServSafe Managers Training Course
A ServSafe Managers Training Course will be held from 1-5 p.m. May 4-6 at the EHC Building at the Garland County Fairgrounds. The cost is $140 for the course, book, and exam. Registration ends April 4. Email Alison Crane, acrane@uada.edu, at the Extension office for more details.
4-H information There are several 4-H Clubs for Garland County youths who are 5 to 19 years old. For more information on all the fun 4-H activities that are available for youths, call Carol Ann McAfee at the Extension office, 623-6841, or email her at cmafee@uaex.edu.
Master Gardener information Master Gardener meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month online. The meetings are open to the public and guests are welcome. For more information, call the Extension office at 623-6841 or email Alex Dykes at adykes@uaex.edu.
EHC information Are you interested in joining an existing Extension Homemakers Club? EHC is the largest volunteer organization in the state. For information on EHC, call Alison Crane, family and consumer sciences agent, at 623-6841 or email her at acrane@uaex.edu.