How to properly store and dispose of medications

Key Takeaways

• Medication should not be stored in areas with high humidity, like bathrooms. Store them on a high shelf away from kids and pets.
• Expiration dates are important, especially for emergency use medications like EpiPens and rescue inhalers.
• Not all medications can be flushed. Check online for pharmacies near you that participate in Take Back Days.

Did you know that despite its name, the medicine cabinet in your bathroom is not a good place to store prescription and over-the-counter drugs?

And, did you know that you shouldn’t flush unused or expired medication?

In this blog, we’re going to talk about where you should store your medications and how best to get rid of them.

Storage

A lot of people think you should store medication that doesn’t need to be refrigerated in the bathroom because that’s where medicine cabinets are. However, you shouldn’t store it in the bathroom because humidity has the potential to break down medications.

A better place to store medication is a dry place, like high shelf in a hallway closet away from children and pets, so they aren’t at risk of getting into them.

Expiration dates

Always use your medications prior to the expiration date.

Best case scenario, your acetaminophen or Tylenol® is not as effective. Worst case scenario is that you use an expired EpiPen, and then you end up in a critical condition because your EpiPen was not effective when you were in anaphylactic shock.

Also, don’t assume that when you get a refill on something like an EpiPen that it’s going to have the same expiration date as a previous manufacturer.

Different manufacturers have different rules, and they follow, including different guidelines to come up with their expiration dates. One manufacturer might say your EpiPen is good for two years if it has a certain preservative in it. Another manufacturer might say it’s only good for one year.

It’s very important to always follow the expiration dates and make sure you’re regularly checking, especially those medications that you only have for emergency use.

Disposal

While flushing medication may seem like the easiest way to dispose of it, it’s may not be safe to do so.

There are some medications that are on a flush list, and that’s because they have a high potential to cause harm if somebody were to take them that shouldn’t be taking them or could take them in the wrong manner.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration maintains a flush list. To see if your medications are on it, click here.

There are not very many medications on that list. For most medications, look for National Pharmacy Take Back Days, which most local retail pharmacies participate in. You can bring your drugs in, and they will dispose of them properly for you.

To find a Take Back pharmacy near you, visit DEA.gov/TakeBackDay.