We all have them - bottles of old, expired, unwanted or unused medication. While it is tempting to simply flush the pills, do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet or drain unless the label or the accompanying patient information specifically instructs you to do so.Don't Flush Those Pills! Learn How to Safely Dispose of Old, Unused Medicine
By E Cass
We all have them - bottles of old, expired, unwanted or unused medication. While it is tempting to simply flush the pills, do not flush prescription drugs down the toilet or drain unless the label or the accompanying patient information specifically instructs you to do so.
Most drugs should be disposed of in the following manner:
1. Remove all identifying information from the bottle. In this day of increasing identity theft, one should never make personal information, including health information available to strangers. Before disposing of a pill bottle, conceal all personal information, including your name and address, the doctor's name, and the prescription number, by thoroughly marking through the information with dark ink or a black permanent marker.
2. Next, remove the pills from the bottle and mix them (do NOT crush tablets or capsules) with an unpalatable substance, such as kitty litter or old coffee grounds. Place this mixture in a sealed container, such as a sealed plastic bag.
3. Throw the sealed container and the pill bottle in the trash.
Increasingly, city and county governments are providing ways for citizens to dispose of prescription drugs that are not labeled to be flushed. Contact your city or county government's household trash and recycling service to find out if a drug take-back or collection program is available in your community.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in conjunction with state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States, sponsors a National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Contact your local agencies or the Department of Justice website to get details about this annual event.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that the following drugs be disposed of by flushing:
Actiq, oral transmucosal lozenge
Avinza, capsules (extended release)
Daytrana, transdermal patch system
Demerol, tablets
Demerol, oral solution
Diastat/Diastat AcuDial, rectal gel
Dilaudid, tablets
Dilaudid, oral liquid
Dolophine Hydrochloride, tablets
Duragesic, patch (extended release)
Embeda, capsules (extended release)
Exalgo, tablets (extended release)
Fentora, tablets (buccal)
Kadian, capsules (extended release)
Methadone Hydrochloride, oral solution
Methadose, tablets
Morphine Sulfate, tablets (immediate release)
Morphine Sulfate, oral solution
MS Contin, tablets (extended release)
Onsolis, soluble film (buccal)
Opana, tablets (immediate release)
Opana ER, tablets (extended release)
Oramorph SR, tablets (sustained release)
Oxycontin, tablets (extended release)
Percocet, tablets
Percodan, tablets
Xyrem, oral solution
Please be aware that some of these prescription medications have generic versions. Additionally, the FDA continually evaluates medications for safety risks and updates the above list as needed.
Proper disposal of medicines will keep your family and pets safe, and is an excellent prevention tool against drug re-sale and trafficking, as well as theft and drug abuse.
For more life tips and useful information, visit Senior Spirit Online - http://senior-spirit.com/http://www.awomansjourney.com. or A Woman's Journey -
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