As human beings, we have a tendency to stockpile items we think we may “need” in the future. TV shows like “Hoarders” have taught us that this behavior can become unhealthy when left unchecked. The same goes for your prescription drugs! Expired prescription bottles and those left by family members can be dangerous if fallen into the wrong hands. Although it’s not quite spring yet, it’s never a bad time to do a “spring cleaning” of that prescription stash. Here are some tips to maintaining your medicine cabinet!

Check Those Dates!

Many people have the misconception that drugs don’t expire. FALSE. Nearly all medications do expire, which diminishes their effectiveness. With most prescription drugs, you’d be safe to take them after they expire (they may just have lost potency). One exception is liquid or gel medications. These should not be used past their expiration date due to the possibility of bacteria and fungus growth.

Discard Expired or Unneeded Medications

Regardless of if your medications are past their effective dates or not, it’s still good practice to dispose of medications when you no longer have a need for them. As a parent or grandparent, you always want to limit the possibility of a child or grandchild finding and taking those medications. Some recommended disposal techniques are:

Year-round Disposal Sites – There are a few locations around Omaha where you can dispose of your medications safely throughout the whole year. To find locations near you, check the U.S. Department of Justice’s website.

Flush Certain Medications Down the Toilet – SOME drugs are able to be flushed down the toilet to discard. For a list of drug names that are acceptable to flush when drug take-back options are unavailable, check the FDA website.

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day – A great thing that the government does to help prevent prescription drugs from getting into the wrong hands is holding a National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day once a year. For 2019, this event will be held on April 27th. For more information regarding this event, head to the DEA website.

Trash Disposal – If you are unable to make it to a disposal site, the FDA recommends mixing your throw-away medications with an “unpalatable substance” like cat litter or dirt in order to deter others from stealing the pills.

Proper Storage

Once you’ve figured out which medications you plan on keeping and have disposed of the ones you don’t need, it’s critical to take steps to keep your prescriptions properly stored. The first step is to make sure you keep them in a container that is clearly labeled to avoid confusion (if possible, keep them in their original bottle). Next you’ll want to choose a cool, dry place (preferably away from children) like a cabinet or dresser for storage. This helps to prevent premature expiration of your medications. Once you’ve found the proper container and location for your medications, don’t forget to take precautions to child-proof your cabinet or drawer. There you have it! You’ve officially completed a spring cleaning of your medicine cabinet!

At The Wellington Senior Living, we treat our residents like family, which means safety is one of our highest priorities. If you or a loved one are interested in making a transition to a senior living community that promotes a fun and safe lifestyle, don’t hesitate to give us a call!