Spring Clean Your Medicine Cabinet

Wondering what to do with a medicine cabinet chock-full of expired or unneeded medications? Is there a better way to throw them out without endangering your family or harming the environment?

The first step is to check the expiration dates on all of your medications, according to Janet Mattiucci, RPh, manager of Yale New Haven Health Pharmacy at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. Each medication has an expiration date printed on the label. If your medication is past the expiration date, follow the disposal instructions that came with it.

If there are no disposal instructions, Mattiucci recommends disposing of drugs in your household trash by doing the following:

• Keep the medication in its original container. Remove the label or use a permanent marker to cross out your personal information. Duct tape works, too.
• Make medication less appealing to pets or children. Mix your drugs (liquid or pills) with hot water to dissolve them. Increase the yuckiness factor by adding salt, ashes, saw dust, used coffee grounds or kitty litter.
• Contain and seal. Place the medication inside a container such as an empty yogurt or margarine tub to ensure that the contents cannot be seen and tape it shut.
• Throw out the container with your trash. Don’t put the container in your recycling bin! Don't flush medication down the sink or toilet. Why? Because flushed medications can get into our lakes, rivers and streams.

A medication disposal box is located inside Yale New Haven Health Pharmacy at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. You can drop the unwanted medications into the box and they will be safely and securely destroyed.

Also check to see if your town or city has medication drop boxes. These boxes are secured in the lobby of the police department and are accessible any time the department is open. Find a disposal drop box site near you.

Remember to store your current medications safely. Follow these three steps:

• Keep medications in their original container. Never mix or combine different medications into one bottle.
• Don’t store medications in areas that are hot and humid, such as the bathroom medicine cabinet. 
• If a medication needs to be stored in the refrigerator, be careful not to store it in the freezer or expose it to a lot of moisture.

If you have any questions, contact Yale New Haven Health Pharmacy at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital at 860-444-3700.