It's Important To Dispose Of Old Medication At Your Local Drugstore
Your local drugstore is a place to go when you need virtually any type of medication, but you might not realize that it's also the appropriate venue for disposing of your old medication. People of all ages are sometimes unaware of what to do with the medication that they no longer take and may resort to disposing of it in a manner that is hazardous to others. The next time that you plan to visit your drugstore for any reason, take a look through your bathroom medicine cabinet and gather up any medication that you no longer need. You can hand it to your pharmacist at the pharmacy counter. Here are some things that you should know.
When To Get Rid Of Medication
There are many different reasons that you might need to get rid of medication. A common reason is that a certain product has surpassed its best-before date. These dates are stamped on the bottle or packaging, and you shouldn't consume the medication after the date has passed. You might also need to get rid of a certain type of medication because your family doctor has told you to stop taking it. In other cases, you may simply have chosen to stop taking a certain medication — perhaps because you've switched to another product.
Options That Might Be Tempting
If you're no longer planning to take a certain medication product, you might think about throwing it in the garbage. The concern with this idea, however, is that a few pills could fall out of the garbage onto your lawn, where a neighborhood child or even an animal could eat them. If you've realized this concern, you might simply think about flushing the medication down the toilet — a solution that can seem to make sense. The problem with this idea is that large volumes of medication can potentially alter the water system in your area.
Why The Drugstore Is The Right Choice
Your local drugstore will accept all of your unused or unwanted medication and dispose of it in a safe manner. This service is free and available at virtually every drugstore across the country. In addition to knowing that your products won't harm anyone, you can also benefit from this idea by speaking to the pharmacist. For example, if you're getting rid of a product because of its side effects, you might speak to the pharmacist about a similar product that doesn't carry the same side effects.