Podcast: Download (Duration: 12:15 — 14.2MB)
Are you aware that some of the most dangerous substances to children and adolescents may be sitting in your medicine cabinet? Every year, children mistakenly ingest prescription medications that are not secured properly. Even scarier is that some adolescents purposely find and abuse these medications. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of deaths from drug poisonings has been steadily increasing since 1999. Old, leftover prescription medications pose a serious threat to everyone in the household.
It is imperative that expired, leftover or unused prescription medications are disposed of properly and immediately. But, it’s not enough to simply throw these straight into the trash. Many medications should be flushed down the toilet – but check on the label or accompanying instructions to be sure. For medications that are not to be flushed, mix them with a substance like wet coffee grounds or cat litter, seal them and place them in the trash.
Another great resource to utilize if you’re unsure of the best way to dispose of these medications is to bring them to a government-organized Drug Take Back Day. You can call your local government’s trash or recycling service to find out if a take-back program is available in your community. You can also visit www.dea.gov or call 800-882-9539 to find a take-back site near you.
Listen in as we talk with Terry Laurila, a pharmacy manager at Nationwide Children's, and Julie Zaucha, Manager of Pharmacy Operations at Nationwide Children’s, about the best ways to dispose of old, unused prescription medications – and the hazards they pose if left in the medicine cabinet.







