How to properly store and dispose of medications
*This shop has been compensated by Inmar Intelligence and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
As a mom of two young children and a pet owner, I am well aware of the dangers posed by unsafe drug storage and disposal. Accidental poisoning from medications is a leading cause of emergency room visits for young children. It’s important to take steps to ensure that our households are safe places, free from the danger of potentially harmful drugs.
When Nicole, my youngest daughter, was little, she grabbed the bottle of gummy vitamins her big sister left on the table and ate the whole thing. We were lucky – there were just a few left at the bottom of the bottle, and these were “just” vitamins. Nicole was okay but this situation scared me and I became very, very careful about safe drug storage – from harmless gummy vitamins to over-the-counter fever reducers and painkillers to prescription medications.
Here are some guidelines for safe drug storage and disposal we follow in our house:
1. Keep medications out of reach. Store them in a secure location, such as a locked cabinet or drawer, out of the reach of curious children. In our house, we store medications in a tight container in the kitchen cabinet over the fridge – it’s so far and so inconveniently located, even adults need to use a step stool to get there. We also have a separate medication kit for travels with essentials like bandaids and disinfecting spray, painkillers, and fever medications.
2. Use original containers. Do not transfer medications to another container, as the original labeling can provide important information.
3. Follow storage instructions. Many medications are sensitive to heat and moisture, so it’s important to store them in a cool, dry place.
4. Go through your medications regularly to check if anything has expired and needs to be restocked. Dispose of expired or unused medications. Do not keep medications past their expiration date, and dispose of any unused medications in a timely manner.
We reside in Alameda County of California and I find Safe Medication Disposal Program very helpful. They created a great resource to help you safely dispose of unused or expired medications. safemedicinedrop.com will provide a list of safe drug take-back kiosks in your area. I usually use this green box that is located in the pharmacy of our local Safeway.
If you have any unwanted or expired medication to dispose of, please visit safemedicinedrop.com? or call 1-888-371-0717? to request a free pre-addressed and prepaid envelope.”
As parents, it’s our duty to protect our children from harm. By following these guidelines for safe drug storage and disposal, we can help ensure that our households are safe places, free from the risk of medication-related injuries.
April 22 is the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day! It’s a good time to revise and organize the medications you have in your house and property dispose of anything that’s expired.
About The Author
