What are medications?
Medication are products that are used to treat or prevent health problems. Medications include prescription medications that are managed and distributed by a pharmacy, over the counter medications that can be bought at a grocery store, vitamins and nutritional supplements, and herbal and homeopathic products. Other types of medications also include oxygen and other medical gases as well as personal care products.
Why medication mistakes happen
Medications can be poisonous if the wrong medicine is taken or if the wrong dosage or amount is taken. A person can accidentally take the wrong medication if the medicine looks similar to their medication or if it was stored in the wrong place.
How can I safely store medications?
- Store medications in their original containers
- Keep medications in a lockbox or stored up high and out of reach of children
- Keep a list of current medications in your wallet for emergencies or doctor appointments
- Store your medications separately from other’s medications to prevent a mix-up
- Turn on the light and put on your glasses prior to taking a medication
- If you are prescribed a new medication, make a chart to keep track of each dose you take
- Never take more medication than prescribed or that is written on the store bought medication
- Dispose of expired medications safely and promptly
- Never take someone else’s medications
- Do not stop taking medications without talking to your doctor first
How can I dispose of unused or expired medications?
Cat Litter/Coffee Grounds
Dissolve pills in warm water, add coffee grounds or cat litter and combine in a sealed bag. Dispose of bag and contents in trash.
Medication Disposal Kits
These can be purchased over the counter. They have a product in them that deactivates medications in a safe way. Some local health departments can also provide disposal kits for free for the community.
Flushing
Some medications can be safely flushed down the toilet or sink. However, product packaging or checking with the poison helpline should be done first to make sure flushing is safe.
Drug Disposal Days/ Drop boxes
In an effort to reduce the amount of misused or abused medications, the DEA has worked with local pharmacies to create Drug Take Back days. Usually these days occur in the Spring and Fall and law enforcement will accept all medications, no questions asked, to dispose of in a safe manner. Some retail pharmacies have drug disposal drop-off boxes available to their customers to dispose of unused or expired medications. Check with your pharmacist to see if they offer this service.
DEA Collector Site Locator Drug Take Back Day
