How to dispose of unneeded or expired drugs

In 2011 as part of a national campaign, staff members from the Sandpoint Police Department, Idaho Conservation League and Bonner General Health Foundation got together to develop and promote a program on how to safely dispose unwanted or expired drugs. With eyes on crime, health, and the environment, we established a Drug Take Back Program based on the Drug Enforcement Agency’s national program. 

The DEA says that since take-back programs were initiated, more than 17 million pounds of unnecessary medications have been removed from communities across the country. We can pat ourselves on the back for being part of this. 

The National Prescription Take Back Day is this Saturday, Oct. 26. On that day, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sandpoint’s Police Department, 1123 W. Lake Street, will be open and available to take medications that you no longer need or have expired. Although the department takes drugs daily throughout the year, Saturday is when those of you who can’t make it Monday to Friday can clean out the medicine cabinet and drop them off. No questions are asked. However, they do not take liquids, syringes or EpiPens. 

I think the reasons why it’s important to properly dispose of drugs is self-evident, but I’ll tell you what the Environmental Protection Agency says. “Take back programs offer a safe and environmentally protective way to dispose of unwanted household medicines. In fact, pharmaceutical take back programs offer a dual public health benefit by helping to combat the opioid crisis by reducing access to unwanted household medicines, which helps prevent drug abuse and accidental poisoning.” 

And, of particular importance to us, since we recreate in our lakes and rivers which often source our drinking water, it protects the environment by reducing the flushing of household medicines, which prevents their release into ground water and surface water. 

I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that some medications can be fatal if taken incorrectly. That applies to adults, children and pets. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it’s estimated that 60 percent of people who abuse prescription painkillers said that they obtained the prescription from friends or relatives for free, often taking the drugs without permission. “Without permission.” That’s subtle, isn’t it? 

If you need to dispose of drugs at home, the Food and Drug Administration has some tips for you. The first is to look at the FDA’s Flush List, which itemizes the drugs that you can safely dispose of by flushing down the toilet.  

“The FDA and the EPA take the concerns of flushing certain medicines in the environment seriously. Still, there has been of sign of environmental effects caused by flushing recommended drugs,” the FDA’s website says. Personally, I wouldn’t do it but please, be sure you’ve looked at that list before putting drugs into our water supply. 

The second tip is to put medications into the household trash. Prescription and over-the-counter drugs in pills, liquids, drops, patches, and creams, can be tossed if you follow these steps:  

“1. Remove the drugs from their original containers and mix them with something undesirable, such as used coffee grounds, dirt, or cat litter. 2. Put the mixture in something you can close (a re-sealable zipper storage bag, empty can, or other container) to prevent the drug from leaking or spilling out. 3. Throw the container in the garbage. 4. Scratch out all your personal information on the empty medicine packaging to protect your identity and privacy. Throw the packaging away,” the FDA advises. 

Inhalers and aerosol products are a different ballgame, as they can be dangerous if punctured or thrown into a fire. Be sure to read the information packets on how to dispose of them properly. Needles, sharps and EpiPens should be placed in a proper disposal container immediately after use. If you don’t have a sharps container, you can use a heavy-duty plastic container with a secure cap, like a laundry detergent container or coffee can. 

It just takes a minute to pack up the meds and drop them off. Please consider doing it this Saturday. Let’s do our part to fight the ongoing drug problems in the United States. 

Kathy Hubbard is a member of Bonner General Health Foundation Advisory Council. She can be reached at kathyleehubbard@yahoo.com.