Expert recommend cleaning out your medicine cabinet every six months and disposing – safely – of expired or unneeded prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Photo by Angela Breck.
In April, more than five tons – about the weight of a large pickup truck – of prescription medicines were collected in Maryland through the Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) biannual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. On Saturday, Oct. 26, the DEA will host another Take Back Day.
While this program is a good start, secure medicine disposal is a year-round need that encompasses both prescription and over-the-counter medicine. Luckily, Marylanders don’t have to wait until Oct. 26 to conveniently dispose of household medicines. In Maryland, we’re lucky to have an extensive network of easy-to-use disposal options throughout the state – resources that more Marylanders should be aware of.
I lead the Pharmaceutical Product Stewardship Work Group, which works to educate people across the country on how to properly use, store and dispose of household medicines through MyOldMeds.com. This month, ahead of DEA Day, we are celebrating National Take Back Month to not only help spread the word about the upcoming DEA-sponsored event but also raise awareness of the many convenient medicine disposal resources available every day of the year.
As a Maryland resident, the health of our state is important to me. That’s why I want to make sure more Marylanders are aware of the 366 secure disposal options in communities throughout our state. These are often located at pharmacies, grocery stores, fire and police stations, government buildings, and medical centers.
Many offer a simple and secure drop-off kiosk, while others provide mail-back envelopes that you can take home and use to mail medication for disposal whenever you need to. During October, I urge everyone to make use of these free and easy-to-use resources, whether or not you participate in a DEA-sponsored take-back event on Oct. 26.
A typical medicine disposal kiosk. Photo courtesy Pharmaceutical Product Stewardship Work Group.
Properly disposing of our medicines is only one aspect of responsible medication management, which begins with properly using and storing medicine at home. Most medicines, both prescription and over-the-counter, come with use and storage instructions on the label or in a fold-out guide. Get in the habit of reviewing these guidelines in detail, even for medicine you’ve taken before, as the instructions may have changed.
Try to store your medications out of reach of children or pets and away from light, humidity and extreme heat. Some medications can break down and become less effective if they are stored improperly. We all rely on medications to manage our health and that of our loved ones – properly using and storing medicines helps ensure they work as intended and provide the benefits you need.
Get in the habit of proactively cleaning out your medicine cabinet every six months. You may be surprised to find forgotten or expired medicines, which should be disposed of and replaced if needed. According to FDA guidelines, secure drop-off locations like the ones listed on MyOldMeds.com are the best medicine disposal options. Medicine disposed of at these locations is inaccessible until it can be safely incinerated.
With disposal options throughout communities across Maryland, you can easily incorporate medicine disposal the next time you go to run errands. Simply enter your ZIP code into our locator to find a convenient disposal option on the way.
Since launching MyOldMeds in 2020, we have learned a great deal about how people use the resources available in communities nationwide. Many of us understand the importance of managing medicines responsibly; yet when it comes to disposal, we’re not always aware of the tools near us that make this task convenient and free.
MyOldMeds’ resources are there to simplify this process so you don’t need to hold on to medicine until the DEA’s biannual take-back days or other community events. The resources in our locator, which are updated and verified twice a year, are available year-round to make this process as easy as possible.
This Take-Back Month, I encourage all Marylanders to make use of the free and easy-to-use resources in your community and share this important information with your loved ones. Together, we can all help keep our communities healthy.