Now that spring is here, we’re in a cleaning frenzy. Truth be told, my husband LOVES to deep clean. It’s something his dad did and he’s taken the helm here at home. I’m not complaining one bit! However, while Daddy D gets some strange satisfaction from scrubbing toilets in his downtime when it comes to home organization, I’m the captain of the ship. This weekend was all about our household supply of over the counter meds and figuring how to safely deal with medication disposal.
Medication disposal is not the most exciting topic, but it’s important to check the expiration date on your OTCs because once a medicine has expired it may not work as intended. Expired medication disposal is a huge reason why I reach out to my friends at Know Your OTCs. Check out this page for their medication disposal tips! I’m excited to partner Know Your OTCs program to share this important information with you!
How to Dispose of Medication
I love learning that the proper disposal of medications is also super easy. As a busy mom, the little things are important! First, clean everything out of your medicine cabinet for inspection. I also like to take this time to thoroughly clean the shelves, etc. After you’ve cleaned out your medicine cabinet, it’s time to safely dispose of any expired or unwanted OTC medicines.
But do you know how? If you’re scratching your head, it turns out, you aren’t alone. According to Harris Poll research conducted on behalf of the CHPA’s Educational Foundation:
- 62% of adults have never sought information on how to properly dispose of their unwanted or expired OTC medicines.
- 50% of adults say they typically dispose of unwanted or expired OTC meds in the trash, but only 8% mix them with undesirable substances before tossing.
Medication Disposal Tips
Proper Disposal of Medications
The good news is that in-home medicine disposal of all OTCs is safe and convenient. The question of where to dispose of medications is super easy, too. Just follow these three simple steps from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
- Mix medicines (do not crush tablets or capsules) with an unpalatable substance such as kitty litter or used coffee grounds.
- Place the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag.
- Throw the bag in your household trash
In addition to in-home disposal, you can also take advantage of medication disposal programs near you, as well as community take-back days. For instance, many pharmacies have in-store disposal kiosks (just Google, “medication disposal near me” and a few should come up) where you can drop off unwanted or expired medication – both OTC and prescription – during regular business hours.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) also periodically hosts National Prescription Drug Take-Back events where temporary collection sites are set up in communities across the country. They are typically organized during the month of April, perfect for those of us in Spring cleaning mode!
Busy moms have a ton our plate. We juggle so much! So when I found out that disposing of our OTCs and expired medications was easier than I imaged, I was super happy. Hopefully, you found this information helpful, too.
This story is sponsored and I am a blogging ambassador for the CHPA Educational Foundation’s KnowYourOTCs program. All opinions are my own.
