Why is Medication Safety Important?

About four in every five American adults take at least one medication. Medications are generally safe when taken as prescribed or as directed on the label. However, medications can cause harm if taken incorrectly. When a medication causes harm or is taken incorrectly, it is called an adverse drug event. Adverse drug events can include allergic reactions, side effects, taking too much of a medication, and taking a medication in the wrong way. Every year, adverse drug events lead to more than one million emergency room visits and 350,000 hospitalizations.

Medication safety can prevent adverse drug events from happening and keep you and your loved ones safe from harm. Therefore, it is important to store and dispose of your prescription and over-the-counter medications properly.

Safe Storage of Medications

Medications can be damaged by heat, air, light, and moisture. Storing your medications in the right place and in the right way can help to make sure they work properly. Medications can cause harm if taken incorrectly or by mistake. Safe storage of medications can help prevent you or others from taking the wrong medication.

Different medications can have different instructions on how to best store them, but there are general safety tips to follow with every medication:

• Keep your medications in a secure place away from children and pets.

• Store your medications somewhere cool and dry.

• Know if your medications should be refrigerated or protected from light.

• Never give your medications to someone else.

• Never take someone else’s medications.

• If possible, try to keep medications in the containers you receive them in. Avoid combining different medications into one container. However, you may need to do these things if you use a pill organizer to keep track of your medications. If you use a pill organizer, make sure you or the person managing your medications can keep track of what is in it. Some medications are meant to be kept in the original container so check with your pharmacist if you plan to use a pill organizer.

Safe Disposal of Medications

It is important to dispose of medications you no longer need to prevent accidentally taking a medication that was stopped or changed. It is also important to dispose of any expired medications because medications can lose their effects or safety over time. Having unused or expired medications can also increase the risk of others taking your medications by accident.

Different medications may have specific instructions for safe disposal, but there are general safety tips to follow with every medication:

• Check the expiration date on all your medications and get rid of any expired medications.

• Dispose of prescription medications you no longer need.

• To throw away medication in the household trash, first mix the medication with something that decomposes it. For example, mix the medication with dirt, kitty litter, or used coffee grounds. Place the mixture in a sealed container.

• Remove or scratch out personal information on prescription labels of empty pill bottles or packaging.

• Use drug take back programs if they are available in your area. These are places where you can drop off unused or expired medications for safe disposal. You can ask your local law enforcement officials or your pharmacist for information on drug take back locations.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has a National Prescription Drug Take Back Day that happens twice a year. This is an event to provide local drug collection sites across the country. The next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 30th, 2022.

Some medications should be flushed down the toilet if there isn’t a drug take back location near you. These are medications that have misuse or abuse potential and can cause death if taken inappropriately. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a Flush List available on their website at https://www. fda.gov/drugs/disposal-unusedmedicines-what-you-shouldknow/drug-disposal-fdas-flushlist-certain-medicines

Ask Your Pharmacist

Ask your pharmacist how to safely store and dispose of your medications. Every medication has its own directions for safe storage and disposal. Your pharmacist is a great resource for specific information on your medications and can tell you which medications you should no longer take. Also, some pharmacies can take back unused or expired medications for safe disposal.

Know How to Contact Poison Control

Poison Control Centers provide free, expert medical advice on poisonings or exposures to a substance that might cause harm. They can answer questions and provide help if someone takes too much of a medication or takes a medication by mistake.

Poison Control is available 24/7 and can be reached by calling 1-800-222-1222.

For medical emergencies, call 911.

Written by: Julie Ing, Doctor of Pharmacy Candidate 2022

University of the Sciences/ Philadelphia College of Pharmacy

REFERENCES

• Drug Disposal: FDA’s Flush List for Certain Medicines [Internet]. Silver Spring (MD): Food and Drug Administration; [updated 2020 Oct 1; cited 2022 Jan 22]. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-whatyou-should-know/drug-disposalfdas-flush-list-certain-medicines

• Help and FAQs about Poison Control [Internet]. Washington (DC): National Capital Poison Center; c2012-2021 [cited 2021 Dec 20]. Available from: https://www.poison.org/helpand-faq

• Medication Safety Basics [Internet]. Atlanta (GA): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; [reviewed 2010 Sep 28; cited 2021 Dec 20]. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/medicationsafety/basics.html

• National Prescription Drug Take Back Day [Internet]. Springfield (VA): Drug Enforcement Administration; [updated 2022; cited 2022 Jan 22]. Available from: https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/

• Storing your medicines [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): MedlinePlus; [reviewed 2020 Jan 23; cited 2021 Dec 20]. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000534.htm

• VA Center For Medication Safety (VA MedSAFE) [Internet]. Washington (DC): U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; [updated 2021 Mar 16; cited 2021 Dec 20]. Available from: https://www.pbm.va.gov/vacenterformedicationsafety/vacenterformedicationsafetyprescriptionsafety.asp