Disposal of Medicines - A Toxic Household Hazard

Today I posted about the City of La Quinta's Household Hazard Waste Program scheduled for September 27th from 9 am to 2 pm. The event will take place in the parking lot in front of the La Quinta Maintenance Yard, south of Avenue 52. While thinking about the common household items we have that can harm our environment, I am reminded that hazardous waste also includes medications, even unused ones.

Pain killers, cough medication, high blood pressure medications, birth control pills and other prescription medications are examples of the household hazardous wastes that should be kept out of your garbage and recycling, and never flushed down your toilet or poured down your drain.

Due to their nature, medications require special handling. It's very important to store them properly and dispose them properly as well. Old and unused medication, both prescription and over-the-counter, is toxic, and if it is not disposed of safely, it could enter the environment and contaminate our lakes, rivers, groundwater and soil.

So how do you get rid of your unwanted medications? I called the City of La Quinta (760) 777-7035 and they told me they do not currently have a plan for the disposal of medicines but are working on one. Until then this is what is recommended:

• Dispose of the drugs in their original containers being sure that they are tightly secure. Wrap container in a small plastic bag and then again in another bag. This should be sufficient to keep others from finding your trashed medications, though you should always use a permenant marker to cover your name and any personal information on the bottle just in case this is indeed not enough. If you are worried about animals getting into the medications, include something foul tasting such as cayenne pepper.
• Dissolve the medicines in a jar with water already intended for the trash. Such as a pickle or jelly jar. Add a absorbant solid such as cat litter, sawdust or oatmeal to prevent the liquid from leaking if the container is broken. This is also a good way to make a solid out of liquid medications. Adding cayenne pepper would also be good if you are worried this may happen though it is probably unneccesary.
• The FDA recommends taking drugs out of their original containers and mixing them with an undesirable substances, such as used coffee grounds or kitty litter and then disposing of them in the trash. The medication will be less appealing to children and pets, and unrecognizable to people who may intentionally go through your trash.
• Do not give medications to friends. Doctors prescribe drugs based on a person's specific symptoms and medical history. A drug that works for you could be dangerous for someone else.
• When in doubt about proper disposal, talk to your pharmacist.

Let's all do what we can to protect our environment for ourselves and for future generations.