9 Things Pharmacists Want You to Know

Ask your pharmacists about the disposal of unused medicines

Flushing old, expired and unused medicines on the toilet, drain, or trash doesn’t mean that you are disposing of them safely and correctly. Do not forget that your medicine is just for you and it might be harmful to someone else or other creatures. Why?

Well, pharmaceuticals contain certain substances that could affect the quality of water that is arriving into and it could hurt marine life or other people who drink that water (because these substances could end up in a source of drinking water as well). So, if you have a cabinet full of expired drugs or pills that you no longer use, then ask your pharmacists about medication disposal and they will tell you how to get rid of them safely. Drugs can be disposed of depending on the substances that they contain, so you have to ask your pharmacist how to do it properly. 

“At the very least you want to grind them in a coffee grinder to deactivate the narcotics,” said Moore. 

According to the FDA, “some pharmacies have mail-back programs and disposal kiosks for unused medicines.”

In fact, expired medications are no longer effective. “You may think, for example, that you’re taking Ibuprofen for your pain when in fact you’re taking nothing,” said Moore.