National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

The DEA is sponsoring a National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday, September 25th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at thousands of sites across the United States. Why should you care?

• Leftover prescription drugs in a medicine cabinet can be dangerous for young children (accidental ingestion) or older children (prescription drug abuse is America's fastest growing drug problem).

• Disposing of the drugs by flushing them down the toilet or tossing them in the garbage can lead to pollution of either the water or the ground.

Image via WikipediaWhile many states have other drug take-back programs, this one is unique because it accepts narcotics. You might think you don't have any of these controlled substances in your house, but many people have half-full bottles leftover from past surgery, injuries, or dental appointments. I just checked my medicine cabinet and discovered a nearly full bottle of liquid Oxycodone (leftover from my son's elbow surgery) that I'll be dropping off on Saturday.

How Do I Recycle Medicines?

With young kids in the house, we all know how important it is to keep prescription and over-the-counter drugs safely out of reach. But what do you do with the old and expired ones?

Image via Wikipedia

The FDA recommends taking the medicine (pills or liquid) out of its original container and mixing it with an undesirable substance (e.g. coffee grounds or kitty litter) and then sealing it in a container (e.g. bag, 2 liter soda bottle, coffee can). The idea is to deter anyone, including animals, who may happen upon the medication after you dispose of it.

You should not flush them down the toilet because this puts the drugs into our water system.

The National Conference of State Legislatures has a recycling program in most states for unopened, unexpired drugs. The rules are obviously stringent, but for people with unopened boxes of medicine, this can be a great way to get these into the hands of people who need them.

Now... go clean that medicine cabinet! And, while you're there, check to see if you have any of the recently recalled children's medications (Motrin, Tylenol, Zyrtec, and Bendadryl).