Do you throw away your old/unused meds in the toilet? Quit it! the meds are getting into

[raccoon]

the water supply.

I always throw them in the trash. What do you do?

[NMDemDist2]

1. return them to the drug store n/t

[HereSince1628]

3. Yep, I take em back to the pharmacy...where as far as I know the pharmacist flushes them

into the sewage system.

But I at least give them a chance to do something with toxic chemical waste.

[nenagh]

4. Return unused meds to the drugstore... they will dispose of the meds as toxic waste...

at least here in Ontario... that is what the pharmacies do...

[Lucy Goosey]

7. Yup, me too.

[Beaverhausen]

2. I mix them into the dirty cat litter

I heard the urine or ammonia or whatever breaks them down.

[enlightenment]

5. Really? That's interesting.

Must go google . . .

[lunatica]

6. My mother's Home Hospice people told me to always put water on them and throw them away.

They said the water would destroy them.

[FSogol]

8. I pour them into a tumbler of gin and have a party.

Is there a better way to dispose of them?

[libodem]

9. It is a real problem

I used to help dump tons of pills into the toilet. As a nurse we destroyed old narcs like that.

I taught assistance with meds to lay people and part of the course was how to get rid of expired or unneeded pills. No more flushing. Pharmacies are not supposed to take stuff back. You can put them in used cat litter or coffee grounds to throw them out.

They have disposal barrels at some police stations.

[kestrel91316]

10. At my cat hospital we do this:

Get a ziploc bag full of clay cat litter. Pour your liquid pharmaceuticals into the bag of litter. Seal and toss into the trash.

If it's pills rather than liquid we dissolve them in tap water and then dispose as for liquids.

If it's injectable vitamins or other things not really pharmaceutical-ish, they can just go down the drain. I evaluate everything on a case by case basis and don't leave the decision to staff, because I am the one with the chemistry and pharmacy education.

[lpbk2713]

11. My local police dept has a collection weekend every so often.

Drop em off, prescription and OTC. No questions asked.

[Jane Austin]

12. Hospice did exactly this when my mother died.

Not only a huge waste of expensive meds, but morphine and Atavan in Lake Austin?

Yikes.

[JohnnyRingo]

13. I'm a walking talking meds disposal unit.

Growing up, I myself could have aptly been nicknamed "Medical Waste". LOL

...More on topic, I personally, have never disposed of a pain pill, antibiotic, or muscle relaxer. Just because they're outdated doesn't mean they turn into poison, and you never know when you'll need them again.

Thank goodness a friend had a left-over bottle of ABs and inhalers last spring when I came down with an irritating lung infection. I can't afford to go to the doctor everytime I get sick, and self medication is often necessary. I got through it, and I'm fine.

[GreenPartyVoter]

15. On the one hand, I know what you are saying about not being able to get healthcare, but are you sure

you are dosing yourself with a full course of viable antibiotics? You could wind up with a resistant infection otherwise.

[JohnnyRingo]

19. I'm never sure of anything of course.

I'm not a doctor, but after a lifetime of recreational drug use, I'm a living PDR.

I've learned not to abuse, and understand the perils of antibiotic overuse. I've only used them a few times in my relatively long life, and only when there's no apparent recourse. When taking drugs that aren't prescribed, research is key.

Contrary to popular belief, doctors aren't scientific wizards. They do a lot of guesswork as well. Just ask any personal injury attorney.

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. Yes, the internet is helpful that way. Although, it's also easy to

convince yourself you have everything! (I do that, anyway. LOL)

[GreenPartyVoter]

14. Pharmacy or doc will usually dispose of them. Better than putting them out in the environment.

[Aristus]

16. Take them to your local clinic.

We dispose of expired meds properly.

[cali]

17. ack. I hate to admit it, but I did do that

recently. I dumped a few morphine tablets down the toilet.

I think that's the only time I've ever done that.

[Brickbat]

18. Your local sewer utility may have a program, so check with them.