Where Do Unused and Expired Medications Go?

Our medicine cabinets are generally jam-packed with medication. Some of them are prescription drugs and over-the-counter pills we no longer use or some we have forgotten to take. You might be thinking that keeping unused medications can be beneficial for some future use. However, some of these medicines are no longer needed, and some may have expired. Storing them can cause more harm than good.

There are four classifications of medical waste: infectious, hazardous, radioactive, and general. Each poses a threat to the people when not taken care of properly. Improper disposal of medical waste can either cause negative environmental issues or harm other people when used unintentionally in ways we could never have thought.

Why Isn't Storing Good?

According to Buzzrx, there are several reasons why keeping a stash of unused and expired drugs is not a good idea. Although some expired drugs are safe to use a couple of years after their expiry date, it is less effective and might worsen your ailment. While sitting on your medical shelves, some of these drugs get their medical properties altered, eventually leading to the decline of potency.

Its chances of falling into the wrong hands increase as time passes. This means that accidental ingestion of the medications can be possible, especially by children or anyone who fails to read the drug's specifications. It could result in an immediate trip to the hospital, or worse, a casualty.

Why Use Drug Take-Back Programs?

When you purchase your medication, it can be from your doctor's prescription or over-the-counter. Many communities are offering medication return programs for their locals. Pharmacies also have this kind of drug drop-off boxes for expired medications for their consumers.

Unused or expired drugs should be primarily disposed of using the medication take-back program. Drug take-back programs ensure that medications are properly destroyed using the rules for drug disposal. Plus, it's the most convenient and authorized way to dispose of the drugs while ensuring your safety and everyone around you.

Disposal of Medicines at Home

If drug take-back options aren't easily available, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers two ways to dispose of medications at home that consider their specifications and properties.

1. Flushing medicines down the toilet. Some drugs are harmful to others because they require immediate disposal when not used or expired. To know if these drugs are potentially dangerous, consult the authorities or check the label if it is specifically prescribed to be disposed of as soon as possible.

The FDA has a flush list for certain kinds of drugs. Remember, do not flush down medicines if a take-back program is available. If the medicine is on the flush list, never hesitate to have it flushed right away.

2. Household trash disposal of medicines. Again, if a take-back program is unavailable, you can use this process. Most medicines, especially over-the-counter (except the FDA flush list),  can be thrown away in your trash cans at home. However, one must observe certain cautious procedures as carefully as possible.

a. Take out the medicine from its original bottle and put it together with an undesirable substance, like dirt, cat or dog litter, or coffee ground. This will make the drug unappealing to someone who intends to look for drugs in the trash. The same thing goes for your children and your pets.

b. Enclose the mixture together in something like an empty can, resealable zipper bag, or any other container that can prevent the drug from spilling or leaking out.

c. Throw the original container separately in a garbage can.

d. Scratch out or tamper the personal information attached to the empty original medicine container. In this way, you can protect your private information by throwing it away.

If you are unsure about taking the mentioned steps and have further questions, contact the right authorities, your pharmacist, or health care provider.

Improper Medication Disposal Consequences

The negative outcomes of improper medical waste disposal have been briefly touched on earlier. Most of it affects the environment, which subsequently has adverse effects on nature, animals, and humans.

Negative effects on the environment

1. It traces back to your running water. One of the adverse effects of flushing down the drain or in the toilet is that the chemicals in your medicine find a way to get through the treatment plant due to its persistent properties, especially for stronger medications such as antibiotics, antidepressants, female sex hormone pills, and steroids.

2. It contaminates the soil. Anything recyclable waste can spring back to a new object. However, medical waste isn't recyclable. For that reason, medical waste thrown at household trash directly goes to the landfill.

3. It disrupts the ecosystem. The contamination of soil and water affects humans and all forms of life in the ecosystem. Contaminated water can eventually reach the coastal waters, which can cause drastic destruction to aquatic life-forms and sensitive forms of animal habitat.

Conclusion

To keep everything safe and healthy at your home and in our environment, you must choose the safest way to dispose of medical waste. Everyone must carry the extra steps mentioned above or contact the most reliable authority to apply the most preferred method of disposal.