I got this tip from Hospice. Sometimes we all have expired medications, prescription change medications or left over medications from pass away loved ones. This nurse told me to dispose of them by adding them to coffee grounds or soiled diapers. This stops people who go through trash cans from getting them or contaminated by them. This is vital when those medications are narcotics. He said that putting them down the toilet was not the way to dispose of them.
By Virginia G. from Porterville, CA
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I don't know about the US, or other countries, but here in Finland, and in the UK, the best way to get rid of old prescription medication is to take it back to a chemist/apteeki.
Working in the medical field we have to get rid of a lot of unwanted narcotics. So many people flush them down the toilet which ends up in our streams and contaminates our water supply. People just cannot get it through their heads this makes our water undrinkable and that sooner or later we won't have any water that isn't heavily polluted. This is really a sore subject for me and I am so glad you were properly directed to dispose of your medicine in a way that it was not consumed by someone or that would hurt our environment.
In my area, there are certain days that expired and unused medications will be collected to be disposed of properly. This Sat. Oct. 16, my town is having a disposal day. If you flush them or even dispose of them in the garbage, it eventually will contaminate the water and ground. You can always check your local town officials to see if they participate in this type of disposal.
In Canada, shoppers drug mart takes left over medications for incineration. Do not put them in the garbage.
Hospice nurse took all drugs from deceased cancer person and mixed them in a ziplock bag filled with a cup of pure bleach.
That is a great idea. We have "drug drop" containers in our courthouse and the local jail. No questions asked, prescription and otc meds are accepted.
Do NOT put them in the trash. They will go to the landfill and birds and other animals have access to them until they are buried. Once they are buried, they work their way into the water table and eventually into our drinking water. They need to go back to the pharmacy or your local law enforcement office can dispose of them. Normally they are burned in a special incinerator for this purpose. I am a safety and health specialist, and have had classes on this very topic in the past.
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