Correctly disposing of prescription meds is something everyone has to deal with.
Do you know what to do with prescription medication you don’t need? If an elderly or sick loved one dies, would you know what to do with his or her unused drugs? One way or another, virtually everyone has to deal with the issue of what to do with unneeded prescription drugs, says Heather Free, a practicing pharmacist in the District of Columbia and a spokesperson for the American Pharmacists Association. “Every household should pay attention to this issue,” Free says.
Keeping unneeded prescription drugs in your home could harm you, children and pets.
The primary reason to properly dispose of your unneeded prescription meds is to avoid causing harm — to yourself, to other people and to pets, says Lindsay Slowiczek, a pharmacist and drug information research fellow at the Center for Drug Information and Evidence-Based Practice at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. “When you have expired, unwanted or leftover medications that you no longer need, it is very important to quickly remove them from your home,” Slowiczek says. “Keeping extra medications in your home can put other people or pets at risk. Children, elderly people and pets could accidentally take these medications and experience dangerous side effects or even experience a toxic overdose, due to their smaller size.” More than 90 percent of accidental overdoses of children under age 5 occurred because the kids took medication they found while unsupervised, Slowiczek says. Young kids may mistake prescription medication for candy, and taking medication past its expiration date could cause harmful side effects or negative interactions with other drugs.
Prescription drug consumption is a risk factor for heroin use.
Research suggests that many heroin users started with prescription opioids. Using data from 2002 to 2011, researchers found the rate of using heroin for the first time was 19 times higher among those who reported prior non-medical pain reliever use than among those who didn’t, according to a paper published in the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality Data Review. A study of young, urban injection drug users who were interviewed in 2008 and 2009 found that 86 percent had used opioids for non-medical reasons before turning to heroin, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Their three primary sources for the opioids were family, friends or personal prescriptions. Not disposing of unused prescription opioids increases the chances they’ll be used inappropriately by someone who shouldn’t take them. “You don’t want to induce harm in others with your prescription meds,” Free says. “If you’re no longer taking prescription drugs, it’s important to dispose of them properly.”
Improper disposal of prescription drugs can affect the water supply.
Another reason it’s important to properly dispose of prescription medication is that simply flushing such drugs down the toilet or tossing them down a household sink can harm the water supply. When prescription meds are disposed of improperly, their chemicals could get into lakes, rivers and streams. A 2017 study by the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey found the presence of 26 pharmaceuticals in drinking water samples from 25 U.S. treatment plans. In 2014, the EPA published a study saying researchers found more than three dozen pharmaceutical ingredients in samples from 50 large municipal wastewater treatment plants across the U.S. Researchers found hydrochlorothiazide, a prescription blood pressure medication, in every sample analyzed. The concentrations of pharmaceutical ingredients found in the samples suggested risks to healthy adults from drinking this water are low. But research suggests the presence of such chemicals in the water supply are adversely affecting fish, frogs and lobster. For example, researchers in recent years have found that some male bass in the Potomac River in the District of Columbia were producing eggs. “While scientists have yet to pinpoint the cause of this mutation, it’s thought that a group of compounds known as endocrine disruptors are responsible,” according to the conservation group American Rivers. Prescription birth control pills are among the possible sources of endocrine disruptors. To properly dispose of prescription medications, experts recommend these six strategies:
1. Look for a drop-off box near you.
The preferred method to dispose of expired or unwanted prescription drugs is to deposit them in drop-boxes or kiosks, which are typically located at pharmacies, law enforcement facilities and hospitals, Slowiczek says. For example, Walgreens is partnering with the waste disposal company Stericycle Environmental Solutions to provide medication collection kiosks at more than 600 retail stores in 45 states and the District of Columbia. CVS Health is installing 750 safe medication disposal units inside pharmacy locations in 41 states and the District of Columbia. They’ll be installed by the end of June, says Erin Shields Britt, a CVS spokesperson. CVS has an online tool to help you find the location nearest you. You can simply drop off your unneeded prescription medications in their packaging at the designated containers. Contact local law enforcement officials or waste management authorities to find the location of the nearest drug drop-off container, or log onto the website rxdrugdropbox.org.
2. Consider DIY disposal options.
Check the drug’s package for specific instructions on how to dispose of it, Slowiczek says. Typically, there should be a package insert, an informational leaflet that provides specific recommendations on safe disposal. If you don’t find these instructions in the package and there isn’t a takeback facility nearby, try this: Mix the medication in something that wouldn’t be appetizing to people or animals — substances such as cat litter, used coffee grounds or dirt. Don’t crush the medication. Place the mixture in a bag and seal it, then place it in your household trash. Be sure to scratch out all the personal information on the empty prescription bottle or package before throwing it away.
3. Use a drug disposal bag.
You can purchase products to help you safely dispose of prescription medications, Slowiczek says. These include drug deactivation pouches or containers that combine the drug with a powder or liquid to make the prescription medication difficult to access for humans or pets. Some of these products may claim to meet Food and Drug Administration or Drug Enforcement Administration standards, but none have been evaluated or endorsed by any federal agency, she says. A variety of these products are available online for about $10 for a pack of three to $72 for a case of 72 pouches.
4. Know which medications should be flushed down the toilet.
Certain prescription drugs, such as strong painkillers, anxiety meds and stimulants, should be flushed down the toilet because of the high risk they present to people and pets, Slowiczek says. For instance, a single exposure to fentanyl, a strong painkiller that’s prescribed as a patch, could be fatal to people who didn’t get the medication under a doctor’s supervision, she says. Fentanyl misuse is one of the key factors driving the deadly opioid epidemic. Check the package’s insert or this FDA list to determine whether your medication should be flushed.
5. Give your prescription drugs to the DEA.
The DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a good way to safely dispose of unwanted prescription medications, says Dr. David M. Cutler, a family medicine physician at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Twice a year, in April and October, the Drug Enforcement Administration accepts unwanted prescription drugs nationwide at temporary collection locations in grocery stores, Boys and Girls Clubs, community centers and pharmacies, says Melvin Patterson, a DEA spokesman. This initiative is known as the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. During the most recent event, on April 28, 2018, the DEA collected nearly 1 million pounds of unwanted prescription medications. Since the program began in the fall of 2010, the DEA has collected more than 9.9 million pounds of prescription drugs. The next event is scheduled for Oct. 27, 2018. Beginning about a month before that date, check for locations on takebackday.dea.gov.
6. Check with hospice providers.
If a loved one who was in hospice care dies, chances are he or she was taking prescription medication. Check with the hospice to see if the facility will safely dispose of those meds. Some facilities provide that service, Free says. If the hospice will dispose of the medication, that would be one less thing to deal with after someone close to you dies.
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6 Strategies for Safely Disposing of Prescription Drugs originally appeared on usnews.com
