Old Rx medications wanted off the shelf for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Saturday, April 29 is National Prescription Drugs Take Back Day where people can find local collection sites to drop off their old prescriptions.

Patients are holding on to their leftover medication as more doctors are reluctant to prescribe them.

“Sometimes it’s difficult to get a hold of my M.D. If it’s antibiotics or pain medication, even though, they could be expired I will hold on to them because my experience is they will work,” Rita Joanes of Cathedral City said.

For many, old prescriptions find a long-term home in the bathroom medicine cabinet. One pharmacist said keeping it in a common place with easy access could cause more harm than good.

“People don’t realize that maybe we have teenagers at home who have seen it on media or within their school system and start getting curious about “oh, can I mix it with this,” pharmacist Diane Nguyen of Desert Rx Health Mart Pharmacy said.

Nguyen said if old prescription drugs are not stored properly they could become toxic.

“A lot of people keep aspirin near the shower cause that’s where the medicine cabinet is placed. When aspirin is in contact with moisture it actually could turn into a very toxic substance,” Nguyen said.

When it’s time to get rid of the medications, Nguyen said it’s best to avoid throwing them in the trash or flushing them down the toilet.

“We know there are a lot of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. If we dump [antibiotics] in the water or if we dump it in the stream those could potentially harm people, pets and animals,” Nguyen said.

In Palm Springs, people can drop off their old and expired prescriptions safely at the police department Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.