Safe Medication Storage

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People often take multiple medications. It can be easy to lose track of all the pill bottles you have in your home. People often struggle in handling these medications and keeping track of them all. It is important to manage your meds and always be aware of any meds that are expired or ones you are no longer taking. Follow these steps for better medication handling.

  1. Go through your meds. Make sure you have enough of what you need
  2. Check to see if any of them are expired. There may also be some meds you are no longer taking. Set those aside for proper disposal.
  3. Make sure you store them in a dry and safe place in your home. Store them in a safe location like a cabinet or drawer.
  4. Do not store in places that can be easily reached by children or pets. Avoid areas that can be damp like the kitchen or on a bathroom counter.  

Safe Medication Disposal

If you do find meds that are expired or you are no longer taking. Dispose of them quickly and safely. The best way is to look for any medication take-back programs in your area. Many programs have specific dates for medication drop-offs.

The United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) provides many of these programs. They have also set up permanent disposal sites in hospitals and pharmacies. More details about drug disposal can be found here: https://takebackday.dea.gov/

The next best thing is to dispose of the meds in your household trash. First, check the bottle for any special disposal instructions and follow those directions. If there are no special instructions, then follow these steps.

  1. Take the pills out of the bottle and mix with something like cat litter, used coffee grounds, or even dirt.
  2. Mix the substance with the pills and place in a container like a sealed plastic bag.
  3. Throw the sealed container away with the regular trash.

Remove any personal information from the bottle and place in recycling or trash.

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