Spring cleaning the medicine cabinet
There’s something about the warmer, sunnier weather of spring that brings out the urge to purge for many people.
Spring cleaning tasks can include washing windows, cleaning carpets and emptying out cluttered closets. It’s a therapeutic chore for many, as a way to put the darker days of winter behind and embrace a new season.
It can also be a good time to clean out any unused and expired medicines or prescriptions from your medicine cabinets.
When was the last time you checked expiration dates on those bottles of aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen and even antacid tablets? Leftover pain medications or prescriptions that have expired are of no use to you now and can actually be a public safety issue, posing risks for accidental poisoning, misuse and overdoses, according to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
The DEA holds an annual National Drug Take Back day, and this year’s event is set for April 24. Many pharmacies, law enforcement agencies and county offices offer Take Back stations on this day. Many hospitals also accept disposable medications.
It’s an opportunity for people to properly dispose of unused or expired drugs, prescriptions and other chemicals to save lives and protect the environment. In 2020, there were more than 4,500 collection sites around the United States, and they claimed almost 500 tons of drugs, according to the DEA.
Take Back Day is not the only time you can dispose of unused or expired drugs, however. Any time of year is a good time to remove the hazard of expired drugs from your home.
First, check the bottles for proper disposal instructions on their labels. If the information is readily available, you can still dispose of it by:
• Scratching out all identifying information on the bottle or box to make it unreadable. This will help to protect your identity and the privacy of your personal health information.
• Removing the medicine from its original container and pour it into a sealable storage bag to prevent medicine from leaking or breaking out of a garbage bag. Then, mix the medications with coffee grounds or kitty litter, or pour in dishwashing soap, which will liquefy the pills. The DEA does not recommend flushing medications down the sink or toilet unless the prescription drug labeling or patient information that comes with the medication specifically instructs you to do so.
Flushing medications puts potentially harmful chemicals into our community’s water system, and some may prohibit this practice out of concern over the trace levels of drug residues found in rivers, lakes, and community drinking water supplies.
Need more information? Visit the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) website (www.deatakeback.com) or call (800) 882-9539 for more information and to find an authorized collection site.
Cleaning out the medicine cabinet is not only good for the environment, but also helps reduce risks of accidental poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
The CDC recommends that all medicines and household products be stored up and away and out of sight in a cabinet where a child cannot reach them. When you are taking or giving medicines, don’t put your next dose on the counter or table where children can reach them — it only takes seconds for a child to get them.
Don’t get distracted while taking medicine. If you have to step away to answer the phone, for example, either hold on to the medication or put it back and seal the bottle until your hands are free. Secure the child safety cap completely every time after use.
After using them, do not leave medicines or household products out. As soon as you are done with them, put them away and out of sight in a cabinet where a child cannot reach them.
Finally, the CDC recommends that, if there are young children in the house, keep the poison help number — 1-800-2221222 — posted near your home telephone or saved in your phone. The line is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.