Cleaning Out Your Medicine Cabinet – What You Need to Know

Spring is a great time for cleaning, storing and organizing! But some areas of your home—like your medicine cabinet—require a little more thought, care and attention. So get ready and grab a helper if you’d like, we’ve got great advice on how to make this process safe and effective for you!

Where And How Should I Keep My Medicine?

Many of us think of the bathroom as the go-to place to keep all of our medications. But there’s a risk in the humid environment compromising the integrity of your meds. If you’ve got good ventilation and air flow, you should be okay. But you may want to consider alternative locations, like a linen closet.

Regardless of where you store your medications, make sure they’re always sealed up tight. And always avoid any room or location that could go over 104℉, like a center console or bag in your car. When traveling, keeping your medications in cooler is the best approach.

What If My Medication Is Expired?

For over-the-counter and prescription drugs alike, an expiration date indicates when the medication will start to lose its potency and effectiveness. Although some medications may still work after their expiration dates, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

To find out if your medication is okay to take after the expiration date, you can always ask your pharmacist free of charge. Or, on your next doctor’s visit, you could consult with your physician.

How Do I Dispose Of Old Medications Or Prescription Drugs?

A drop-off box or take-back facility are both really fantastic ways to handle disposal of old medications. You can visit this webpage to locate a drop-off box or take-back facility near you.

Additionally, your pharmacy may provide envelopes to mail in your medications for proper disposal.

Creams and gels can also be disposed of following this same method. When it comes to needles, you’ll need a sharps container (you can get one from your pharmacy or local lab). Or, you can place the needle in an old container, like an empty liquid detergent bottle, for submission.

What Should I Do With My Old Prescription Bottles?

To protect your personal information, remove the label from the bottle and run it through a shredder before disposal. You can also black out the information using a permanent marker.

We hope this handy guide helps you get on your way to a cleaner, more organized medicine cabinet!