Has it been a while since you cleaned out your medicine cabinet or anywhere medicines are stored? Most experts recommend that your medicine cabinet or medicine storage spot be cleaned out annually to discard medications that have expired or could be medically unsafe.

Hanging onto or accumulating outdated or unused medications beyond their expiration date, with the idea that they might come in handy one day, can be risky business.  Expired medications can lose their potency, change in composition and even becoming toxic.  Further, by keeping them, chances are increased of abuse, misuse, or taking the wrong one. Failing to safely dispose of old medications, especially opioids, all too often leads to dangerous drugs ending up in the wrong hands. The CDC reports that 50,000 young children end up in emergency rooms each year because they got into medicines while an adult wasn’t looking.1

Avoid these risks with timely cleaning and disposal of unused or outdated medicines, prescriptions and over-the-counter (OTC), and medical supplies using these tips from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

Check the expiration dates.

Since 1979, all prescription drugs and OTC medications and products have an expiration date somewhere on the label or stamped onto the bottle, tube, or carton  This is the final date that the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of the drug or product based upon testing.   For best efficacy, the medication should be stored properly–usually, in a cool, dry location–or as indicated on the package or label.

Examine everything in the medicine cabinet, including ointments, supplements and vitamins. Discard any item that is beyond the expiration date and any prescription medications that are more than a year old. It is important to note that the expiration date refers to an unopened product.  Once a medication has been opened and used, the clock starts ticking on its shelf life as contamination has been introduced.  Writing the date of opening on the container is helpful;  opened or partially used products should be discarded after one year of opening regardless of the expiration date.   Also look for items that have changed color, smell funny, without a label or in an unmarked container, or cannot be identified.  Medications should always be kept in their original containers so that they are easily recognized. This includes ointments, since these can easily be mistaken for creams. All of these items should be discarded without question.

Inspect adhesive bandages, too. Bandages and tapes have a limited lifespan and should be replaced before their adhesive breaks down.

Dispose safely.

The best way to dispose of most types of unused or expired medicines (both prescription and OTC) is to drop the medicine at a drug take back location. These drop off locations may be a police station, authorized pharmacy, or hospital.  There you may find a kiosk.  The kiosks provide a safe and convenient way to dispose of unwanted, unused or expired prescriptions, including controlled substances, and over-the-counter medications, ointments and creams, liquids, lotions, pet medications, prescription patches, and vitamins and supplements free and anonymously.  To find a drop-off location near by, use the find an authorized drug collection site or call the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Call Center at 1-800-882-9539.  Certain medications or items are not accepted at the kiosks including needles, inhalers, aerosol cans, hydrogen peroxide, thermometers, and illicit drugs.

If you cannot get to a drug take back location or there is none near you, the medication maybe flushed or disposed in the trash using important guidelines.  Check the FDA flush list to see if the medicine is on the list.  Medicines on the list are those that are sought after for their misuse and/or abuse potential and  can result in death from one dose if taken inappropriately.  If the medication is on the flush list, it is safe to flush down the toilet.  Do not flush a medicine if it is not on the flush list. 

If the medicine is not on the flush list  and there are no specific disposal instructions with the medication or package insert, follow these steps to dispose of medicine in the household trash:

1. Mix medicines (liquid or pills; do not crush tablets or capsules) with an unappealing substance such as dirt, cat litter, or used coffee grounds;
2. Place the mixture in a container such as a sealed plastic bag;
3. Throw the container in the trash at home; and
4. Delete all personal information on the prescription label, including the RX number, of empty medicine bottles or medicine packaging, then trash or recycle the empty bottle or packaging.2 Containers should be clean if recycled.

For more information on safe disposal, check out the FDA YouTube video.

Most collection sites will not accept asthma inhalers, needles, insulin syringes or any other syringes, marijuana, mercury thermometers, and medications containing iodine. For disposal information and drop-off locations for syringes, needles, and other injectables go to Safe Needle Disposal or call 800-643-1643.  When in doubt about how to safely dispose of a medical device, check with your pharmacist.

Relocate the medicine cabinet or storage, if necessary. 

The bathroom is not the best place to store medication. The temperature and humidity changes that come with the shower running can lower the potency of some medicines. Medications should be kept in a cool dry place, away from children, pets, and scavengers. Consider a locked drawer or a locked box on a shelf.

It is smart to undertake an annual medicine cabinet cleaning.  An annual review of prescriptions, over-the-counter medicines, and medical products can help keep us safe and healthy. Using an old product won’t necessarily land you in the ER, but it could or it may not work effectively thereby wasting you money, affecting your health, or possibly delaying your recovery. Further, if the medicine isn’t on the shelf, it can’t be accidently used, incorrectly used, or abused.  And, always consider the disposal options and dispose appropriately and responsibly.

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Sources:

1 Don’t Be Tempted to Use Expired Medicines.  Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
2 Drug Disposal:  Dispose “Non-Flush List” Medicine in Trash.  Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Images:  Canva.com, Marlene Geiger, and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Updated 12-2023, mg.

Marlene Geiger

I am a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a BS in Home Economics Education and Extension and from Colorado State University with a MS in Textiles and Clothing. I enjoy spending time with family and friends, gardening, quilting, cooking, sewing, and sharing knowledge and experience with others.

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