Why is it important to get rid of old or unwanted medicines?

It's important to get rid of your medicines when you no longer need to take them. You should also get rid of expired medicine.

An expired medicine is past its "use by" or "discard by" date. It may not work as well. And it may no longer be safe to use.

Make sure to get rid of medicine safely. Doing so can help prevent other people, or even animals, from using medicines that aren't meant for them. That could cause serious problems. This is especially important if you have small children or teens in the house.

How can you get rid of your medicines?

Here are a few ways you can get rid of medicines safely. If you have any questions about your old or unwanted medicines, ask a pharmacist for help.

• Check the label on the bottle or box.

  The label may tell you how to get rid of the medicine safely. You can also look at any information that came with the bottle or box.

• Always bring the medicine to a pharmacy, and they will get rid of it safely for you.
  • Most pharmacies will take old or unwanted medicines.
• Put most kinds of medicines in the trash safely.

  If you only have a few pills left and there isn't a pharmacy near you, follow these steps to throw away most kinds of medicine with the rest of your garbage.

  1. Scratch out any personal information printed on the label. This will help protect your identity and health information.
  2. Throw out any boxes or extra packaging materials. Leave pills in foil or pill bottles.

     Don't crush tablets or capsules.

  3. Put the foil packages and pill bottles with medicine inside another container such as a sealed plastic bag or can. This step will help protect pets, children and others from accidental exposure.
  4. Put that container in your household trash.
• Do not flush your medicine down the toilet or sink.