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How to dispose of medicine
ALISON JOHNSON
Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)
It's easy for expired pills and leftover prescription drugs to pile up in your drawers. While guidelines vary by state and can change over time, here are tips to help you get rid of them safely:
...
Read the instructions. Medicines should come with specific directions about disposal, either on labels or in patient information sheets. Most can go into household trash -- with a few safety precautions -- and should not be flushed down the toilet or sink.
Call an expert. If you don't know what to do, contact your local solid waste collection facility, pharmacy, hospital or health department. One or more of those places should have information or a disposal or take-back program.
Prepare them for the trash. Pour water or soda into pill containers before throwing them away, or mix pills and liquids with something undesirable such as cat litter, used coffee grounds or sawdust. This will help keep other people or pets who might find them from ingesting them.
Seal them off. Place medications in sealed bags or sturdy containers so they won't leak or break out of a garbage bag.
Flush if necessary. The Food and Drug Administration has a specific list of medications that shouldn't go into the trash because they'd pose too great a danger to anyone who found them. To learn more, go to http://www.fda.gov">www.fda.gov or call (888) 463-6332.
Get rid of identification. To protect your privacy, destroy prescription labels with information such as your name, address and doctor before throwing a bottle away.
Don't give them to friends. Medicine that works well for one person might be useless or even harmful for another.
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100703/LIFESTYLE03/7030304/1040/How-to-dispose-of-medicine
ALISON JOHNSON
Daily Press (Newport News, Va.)
It's easy for expired pills and leftover prescription drugs to pile up in your drawers. While guidelines vary by state and can change over time, here are tips to help you get rid of them safely:
...
Read the instructions. Medicines should come with specific directions about disposal, either on labels or in patient information sheets. Most can go into household trash -- with a few safety precautions -- and should not be flushed down the toilet or sink.
Call an expert. If you don't know what to do, contact your local solid waste collection facility, pharmacy, hospital or health department. One or more of those places should have information or a disposal or take-back program.
Prepare them for the trash. Pour water or soda into pill containers before throwing them away, or mix pills and liquids with something undesirable such as cat litter, used coffee grounds or sawdust. This will help keep other people or pets who might find them from ingesting them.
Seal them off. Place medications in sealed bags or sturdy containers so they won't leak or break out of a garbage bag.
Flush if necessary. The Food and Drug Administration has a specific list of medications that shouldn't go into the trash because they'd pose too great a danger to anyone who found them. To learn more, go to http://www.fda.gov">www.fda.gov or call (888) 463-6332.
Get rid of identification. To protect your privacy, destroy prescription labels with information such as your name, address and doctor before throwing a bottle away.
Don't give them to friends. Medicine that works well for one person might be useless or even harmful for another.
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100703/LIFESTYLE03/7030304/1040/How-to-dispose-of-medicine