Getting Rid of Unused Medicines

It used to be that you got rid of unused medicines by throwing them in the toilet, but not anymore. There’s a danger of the drugs eventually finding their way into our drinking water.

So what should you do with medicines you no longer need? Here are some guidelines from the Food and Drug Administration:

• If there are specific disposal instructions on the drug label or in the patient information that accompanies the medication, follow them. Don’t flush prescription drugs down the toilet unless the disposal instructions specifically tell you to.
• If there are no disposal instructions, throw the drugs in the trash. But first,
  • Take them out of their original containers and mix them with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter. It will be less appealing to children and pets, and possibly unrecognizable to anyone who might intentionally go through your trash.
  • Then put the mixture in a container, such as a sealable bag or empty can. This will prevent it from leaking or breaking out of the garbage bag.

DID YOU KNOW…?

• Teens abuse prescription drugs more than any illicit drug except marijuana; more than cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine combined
• Every day, 2,500 youth ages 12-17 abuse pain medication for the very first time
• In 2006, more than 2.1 million teens between the ages of 12 and 17 reported abusing prescription drugs
• The majority of teens wrongly believe that abusing prescription and over-the-counter drugs is “safer” than using illicit drugs
• More than 3 in 5 teens say prescription drugs are easy to get from medicine cabinets
• Unintentional overdose deaths have increased 300% during the period of 1999-2007 in the State of Ohio
• In 2007 & 2008, unintentional overdose deaths exceeded the number of fatalities from automobile accidents in the State of Ohio
• Prescription drug abuse currently comprises over 50% of the overall drug problem in America