Bathroom cabinets often gather a host of medicines. Unlike antibiotics, which we take until they’re gone, many medications are acquired as needed: pain pills, sleep and anxiety medicines, cold medicines, etc. The leftovers that accumulate seem innocent enough. However, both their presence and improper disposal pose grave dangers, so it’s important to know how to dispose of unused medications.
Dangers of a medicine cache
Having a plethora of human and pet medications can be risky for anyone living in your home and for visitors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reports: “9.7 million people misused prescription pain relievers, 4.9 million people misused prescription stimulants, and 5.9 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in 2019. … A majority of misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.”
A persuasive reason to dispose of unused medications is young guests – like grandchildren and their friends.
Curious little ones may consume medications that look like candy or juice. Safe Kids Worldwide found that of 1.34 million child-related calls to poison control centers, 49% were about medicine – and 81% of those analyzed were for kids getting into medicine not meant for them. And in 49% of emergency room visits for medicine poisoning, says Mission Health, the child ingested medicine belonging to a relative – mostly from grandparents.