Disposing Unused Medicines: The How-to’s

How often do you check your medicine kit? This is a practice that you need to implement on a regular basis to ensure that all your medicines are still up-to-date. You would not want to provide expired over-the-counter drugs to your family members or else the result will have a reverse effect.

However, what do you do with these expired or unused medicines? As your provider of trusted pharmacy services in Lodi, New Jersey, let us help you answer this matter.

But first, we have to know, when should medicines be disposed of? Here’s a quick list for you:

• When your doctor prescribes you a new medication and you still have some old medicines left
• When you have completely recovered from your illness and your doctor already advised you to stop taking the medicines, but there are some drugs left
• When you have purchased over-the-counter medicines and you have stopped using them altogether
• When the medicines have already expired

Now, moving forward, how should medicines be disposed of? It’s important to note that disposing medicines should not be carelessly done. We say this as a provider of medical supplies in New Jersey. These drugs contain ingredients that may be harmful to the environment, so proper disposal has to be observed. With that, here are some recommendations you can apply at home:

• Follow Label Instruction
  • Some medicines include this indication on their labels. Comply with the disposal instruction stipulated in the medicine’s label. This is also another reminder that we always need to take time reading the labels of our medicine container.
• Mix with Pet Litter
  • Unused medicines have to be kept away from curious family members such as children and pets. Medicines are harmful to those who don’t need them, and children or pets can easily be tempted to try these out especially if these are just lying anywhere. To avoid this incident, mix the medicine with your pet’s litter and tie them tightly inside a bag. This way, they will not be mistaken as something good.
• Take-back Programs
  • Some states or pharmacies implement take-back programs for medicines that have gone expired or were unused. Try asking around in your present community if there are any such program available. What’s advantageous about this program is that you will only need to worry about packing them together and leave the actual disposal to the experts.
• Separate Pills from Bottles
  • When unused pills are still inside containers, dispose of them separately. Ensure that you have removed your personal information from the bottle containers to also protect your identity.

When it comes to your medical health, know that we’re always here backing you up. For your medical needs or concerns on surgical supplies, contact us at EssexCare Pharmacy. If you also have additional concerns about your medicines, symptoms, and over-the-counter medicine options, we have friendly pharmacists who can help you answer these concerns.

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