<p>Every six months (April and October) the DEA sponsors expired/discontinuted drug take back days along with local law enforcement. Google DEA
If you choose not to wait for those, you can:
mix the meds with cat litter or in coffee grounds and put into the garbage.
most meds can be flushed in the toilet but check first. some are hazourdous if they get into the water supply. Again, check DEA.</p>
<p>Having three Ds who all had wisdom teeth out, we’ve had quite a bit of unused pain killers. I keep a bottle of the most recent ones (just a few pills, not a huge supply), in case of midnight back spasms or whatever and throw out the rest. </p>
<p>You can drive yourself crazy imagining scenarios where they are abused. Send them back to Walgreens? Maybe someone flushes them anyway. Go to a DEA buyback day? Maybe someone sells them. Instead I put them in with really nasty trash (like dog poop) and throw the empty orange prescription bottles in a different trash bag, just to be sure. </p>
<p>Funny, I was just reminded of what the Florentines did with Savonarola. I believe first he was hung, then burned, then his ashes were scattered to the winds, or maybe into the Arno - maybe both. They wanted to be sure he never came back! Just like our meds… only they never led us into war did they. Or did they? </p>
<p>I agree with posters that have mentioned local drug take-back programs. A few years ago, these were rare in my small town but now our local township police office has a 24/7 bin where you can drop drugs. </p>
<p>I wonder how often the bin gets burglarized. Mine go in the trash or down the toilet without concern Sorry.</p>
<p>Most medications stored at room temperature without excessive moisture retain activity for decades after their “expiration” date. For example hydrocodone (Vicodin) retained 100% active compound after 28 years. Vicodin is an excellent cough suppressant at very low dose but you will never get a prescription for that purpose because of the well publicized abuse potential of the drug.
<a href=“http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1377417”>http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1377417</a></p>
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<p>I would keep them for emergency use. The laws keep changing and docs are more reluctant to prescribe them in the first place. As mentioned above the actual expiration date of narcotics is years. The bottle you have however will list the expiration as 1 year from date of issue which does not reflect the actual expiration of the drug.
Antibiotics are another story–not everything lasts very long. And anything combined with aspirin will degrade sooner.</p>
<p>Any CVS…
<a href=“http://www.drugstorenews.com/article/cvspharmacy-now-offers-medication-disposal-program-all-pharmacy-locations”>http://www.drugstorenews.com/article/cvspharmacy-now-offers-medication-disposal-program-all-pharmacy-locations</a></p>
<p>You have to pay $3.99 at cvs and they don’t take controlled substances FYI. </p>
<p>Police departments have days for drug return and usually one designated department which takes them all the time.</p>
<p>Our local police department teamed up with a local pharmacy and they now have a bin available at all times, no questions asked. I believe it is either right outside the main door to the police station or possibly in the lobby of the police station. But I don’t think the police even have access to the bin; the pharmacist does. Then once or twice a year, they host a big event as well.</p>
<p>I have a huge assortment of psychiatric meds that I keep hidden. I never know when my son’s doctor is going to want to try an old one again! Now that he’s been stable for a year and a half, maybe I should turn them in.</p>
<p>PSA. Someone mentioned antibiotics. When you are prescribed antibiotics, you need to take the entire course of them. Even if you long feel better, you are supposed to finish them.
Your friendly pharmacist,
VaBluebird</p>
<p>marie1234 said
The bin is located at the police station. I’ll take my chances with the cops. Putting drugs into the water system is harmful to the environment. <a href=“No Drugs Down the Drain Program | Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts”>http://www.nodrugsdownthedrain.org/NoDrugs/</a></p>
<p>I went back to the doctor for followup. The doc suggested I keep the drug. He thinks I may need in future procedures! </p>
<p>Rarely do I have unused medication but if I do I’m not driving a few pills to the police station. Sorry. Also, homemade meth labs are fairly common in my neck of the woods so I seriously doubt if a handful of untaken antibiotics are going to cause an environmental crisis. Again, sorry.</p>
<p>@marie1234 - I don’t think any of us are saying, each time we have a few unused pills, we drive to the police station. Our local collection is once or twice a year. Like I said, I use it as a chance to go through all my medications - over-the-counter meds as well and look for anything expired. It’s not just narcotics and antibiotics that need to be properly disposed of.</p>