Peace of Mind Organizing

Disposing of old medications

18 March 2011

We all know that the once-popular practice of flushing unwanted medicines down the toilet is a bad idea. Unwanted chemicals can get into the water supply and that can’t be good for us. But what should be done with medications that are expired or no longer needed?

The website SMARxT Disposal has loads of information on the topic, but the bottom line (as illustrated in the video on the site) is that you should:

• dump solid medications (tablets, capsules, etc) into a sealable bag
• dump liquid medications on top of them
• add a small amount of water to dissolve the solid medications
• add coffee grounds or kitty litter to make the bag unattractive to children or animals
• dump the whole bag in the garbage

An even easier way to dispose of your unwanted meds will take place on April 30, 2011. That’s the date of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Drug Take-Back Day for people to dispose of unwanted or unused prescription drugs. Go the the National Take-Back Initiative’s website to search for a collection site near you.

No matter how you dispose of your unwanted prescription medications, be sure to remove all identifying information from the bottle. Those prescription labels can be used for medical identify theft. I recommend peeling off the labels, sticking them to scrap paper and shredding them.

Disposal is a big part of the decluttering equation and I know that many people are thwarted in their efforts because they want to dispose of things properly. This method for disposing of medications keeps the water safe and keeps the pills out of the hands of people who might abuse them.

Tagged with: disposal, medications

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