Laurie Anne Walden, DVM
Do you have unused or expired prescription medications in the house? Keeping these drugs around is risky because of the possibility of accidental exposure, overdose, or intentional misuse, says the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Disposing of medications safely also protects the environment.
This Saturday, April 28, is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., you can take prescription medications you no longer need (whether they were prescribed for animals or for people) to collection sites for safe disposal. To find a site near you, go to the DEA Take Back Day website.
Don’t dispose of medications by flushing them down the toilet or pouring them down the drain. Drugs discarded this way enter the waterways, where they can harm wildlife and damage the environment. Drug residues can even enter the drinking water supply.
The safest way to dispose of medications is to take them to an authorized collection site. These sites are usually located in police stations or pharmacies and are available throughout the year, not only on Prescription Drug Take Back Day. To find a location, check one of these resources:
Some prescription drugs have disposal instructions in the package insert. If your medication came with disposal instructions, follow those directions. If disposal instructions aren't included and you don't have access to a collection site, follow these steps:
A few prescription medications are so harmful if they're accidentally ingested that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recommend throwing them in the trash. For more information about these drugs or about drug disposal in general, see Disposal of Unused Medicines: What You Should Know on the FDA website.
Photo by Joshua Coleman