Correct Disposal Of Medications

Correct Disposal Of Medications

D. S. Mitchell

I had a killer headache so I went looking for a couple Tylenol. I found it in the bathroom and was about to swallow two extra strength capsules with a glass of water, when for some reason I noticed the expiration date. Holy Moly, it had expired three years ago. That knowledge shook me up a bit. After that small shocker I decided to check the expiration dates on every bottle of medication in the house; from dog de-wormer to the Vitamin C gummies. The next bottle, a prescription for Flexeril, was outdated by 10 months.  I was two for two. Not good. Next,  was a bottle of cough syrup, expired the previous year. I was still batting 100%.

I guess all I’m saying is that watching expiration dates often gets over looked. Most expiration dates have more to do with effectiveness than dangerousness, such as if I’d taken that 3 year old Tylenol it probably wouldn’t have killed me or even made me sick, but it probably wouldn’t have helped with my headache  either.

If you haven’t checked the expirations on your meds recently take a few minutes and do it. Remember the longer it is past expiration the less effective it is. That’s not good news when you have a monster size headache or some other ailment.

If your medicine chest is full of outdated medications, or medications you no longer take or need and you are wondering how to correctly dispose of them I have some information for you.  The best option is to use community-based drug disposal programs. Go to the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) website, dea.gov and use their search tool to find an authorized drug disposal collector in your area.

If you don’t find a program in your area call your local hospital or your local police department or county sheriff. Almost always one of these entities have disposal programs. As a last resort you may be forced to dispose of them yourself. Please do not flush down the toilet, or sink. These toxins are dangerous to animals, fish and water systems.

Many medications include specific disposal instructions, please follow any specific disposal instructions if they are available. The FDA advises that if there are no disposal instructions, do as follows: If the medication comes in tablet form, crush thoroughly. If medication is capsules, open capsules and release contents.  1). Mix medication with used coffee grounds, kitty litter or dirt/sand to disguise the medication making it less desirable to children, pets and drug seekers. 2). Place the mixture in a sealable bag, place the bag into a can or other container to prevent the medication from leaking out of the garbage bag. 3). Be sure to obliterate any personal information on your prescription bottles before you throw them away; to protect your identity and health information..

In my case, when it was all said and done, I had one of those gift sized (you know the little guys like from Tiffany’s in my case from “The Red Canary” shopping bags, full of outdated and unneeded medications. I guess I am a “closet” hoarder. Or, just inattentive.

In my case, it turned out that the local PD did indeed offer a safe disposal program. I took my bag of meds into the cop shop where an officer dumped them into a secured bin. The officer told me the drugs “would be incinerated,” and off I went. Easy Peasy.

I hope this little piece of life experience helps you think about expiration dates on medications and if you have any outdated meds how to correctly dispose of them. So remember, before you just toss that old outdated medication into the trash, or flush it down the toilet, be a good citizen, dispose of drugs responsibly. The fish and other wildlife critters will thank you. Our environment is under an unprecedented assault and anything, however small it may seem, such as the correct disposal of medications can be beneficial to our threatened environment.

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 Calamity Politics is an online political news magazine offering, comment, analysis and lots of progressive opinion. Join the New Resistance. Hit the streets-make your voice heard. Be ready for October 18, 2025, lets bring millions into the streets to tell Trumpie Dumpie and his oligarch buddies that we want “No Kings.” Join the New Resistance.