Proper way to discard expired or unused medications
Data from the IMS Institute for Healthcare Informatics shows Americans fill about four billion prescriptions and spend over seventeen billion on over the counter drugs each year. Furthermore, it’s estimated forty percent of those medications go unused, leading to a growing problem and the big question how to dispose of so many drugs.
Rancho Mirage resident Dolly Brown is like many of us, she takes a couple prescription drugs and occasionally an over the counter pain reliever. Again, like many of us she knows there must be a proper procedure for getting rid of unused and expired medications but she doesn’t know what it could be.
Likely a big reason expired and changed prescriptions are a frequent find in medicine cabinets.
Pharmacies sometimes include specific disposal instructions on the package label or attached with a flyer to the prescription when you pick it up. Over the counter medications often cover disposal of the drug in the tiny print inside the packaging.
Common thinking is it’s best to flush unused medications down the drain to avoid them getting into the hands of a child or pet…but hold on a minute!
Heather Engel, Director of Communication and Conservation for the Coachella Valley Water District tells us, “the best thing that people can do at home is not flush pharmaceuticals and other drugs down the drain.”
Recent environmental concerns question if the flushing of certain medications leads to trace drug levels in drinking water supplies.
Chief Plant Operator for CVWD Mike Garcia says, “It’s hard to say if it’s all being removed. We’re talking parts per billion maybe parts per trillion that’s coming in our waste stream.” Unfortunately, according to both Engel and Garcia, treatment plants are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals from the water
The Coachella Valley is unlike municipalities in other areas who rely on lakes or rivers for drinking water. CVWD re-assures us their wastewater is treated to a level suitable for irrigation and it does not return to the drinking water system. They maintain it’s still best to throw outdated and unused medications in the trash.
There are no laws that forbid throwing medications in the trash but there is a right way to do it….the US-Food and Drug Administration suggests:
1. Mixing unused medicines with an inedible substance-like coffee grounds or cat litter but don’t crush pills
2. Place mixture in a container like a sealed plastic bag
3. Throw container in household trash
There are options if you don’t want to do it yourself. The Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station accepts unwanted drugs every Tuesday through Thursday between 8 and noon and one and three.
Rancho Mirage has a drop box at city hall for non-controlled medicines but only for pills and capsules and only for Rancho Mirage Residents.
You can also purchase Sharps “TAKE AWAY” Envelopes that include a prepaid envelope that you simply send unused medications back and they’ll take care of them for you. They’re available at CVS Online, Kaiser Permanente in Palm Desert AND Costco Palm Desert.
And if ever in doubt ask your pharmacist.
One more very important item… before you toss your empty prescription bottle scratch off all personal information on the label or just remove the label.
