Why (and How) to Clear Out Your Old Medications
If you tuned into Q929’s “Give’m Health” segment recently, you might have heard Madi from the Bear River Health Department discussing an essential habit for every household: clearing out old, unused medications. If you missed it listen to the recording above.
Whether it is leftover medication from a past surgery or prescriptions you simply do not use anymore, keeping these drugs in your cabinets poses a silent but preventable risk.
Protecting What Matters Most
The primary reason to clean out your medicine cabinet is to keep your family, kids, and pets safe. Every year, we hear of incidents where a child accidentally gets a hold of medication left around the house. You can completely avoid these situations by safely disposing of your medications as soon as you are done using them.
Of course, there are times when you are still actively using your medication for ongoing treatment or recovery. If that is the case, the rule is simple: lock it up. Keeping active medications secured ensures they stay out of the hands of those who shouldn’t have them.
How to Safely Dispose of Medications
When people decide to clean out their medications, they often resort to quick fixes like flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash. However, flushing medication down the drain is not the best route to take. Doing so can introduce active chemical compounds into our community’s water systems.
The single best way to dispose of old medication is to take it to a secure dropbox location. There are many of these dropboxes located all around the valley, making safe disposal easy and convenient.
We Are Here to Help
If you have questions about how to store your medications safely, or if you need help finding a disposal box near you, the Bear River Health Department is always here to help. Give us a call at 435-792-6500 if you have questions.