As the days grow longer and temperatures begin to rise, the arrival of spring is officially underway. And with the changing season comes the time-honored tradition of spring cleaning.

Chances are, if you open your medicine cabinet, you’ll find some old prescription bottles or maybe some leftover medication that “might come in handy someday.” In actuality, those medications may have expired and could cause more harm than you realize.
It’s important to extend spring cleaning to your medicine cabinet and here are some tips to get you started:

What items should you throw away:

• Any medications with a change in color, odor, taste, or texture.
• Any medications that are unlabeled.
• Prescription medications that are over 1 year old.
• Over the counter medications and supplements that are past their expiration date.

Expiration dates 101:

• A medication’s expiration date is the final day that the manufacturer guarantees the drug’s full potency and safety.
• Most expired medications are not toxic; they simply lose potency and become less effective. However, don’t assume a medication is safe past its expiration date.
• The expiration date can be found printed on the label or stamped onto the bottle or carton, sometimes following “EXP.” It is important to know and stick to the expiration date on your medicine.

Why cleaning out your medicine cabinet is important:

• Failing to safely dispose of old medications can increase the chance of your medicine ending up in the wrong hands, possibly injuring kids or pets if taken by mistake.
• The CDC reports that in 2020, there were an estimated 36,564 emergency department visits among children aged 5 years and under for unsupervised medication exposures.

What should I do with my expired or leftover medications:

• Many Hartig Drug locations serve as drug take-back locations and have kiosks or drop boxes where expired medications can be dropped off to be disposed of safely by the facility.
• If a drug take-back location is not available and you have no other way to discard your old or unneeded medicine, most medications can be put in your trash.
  • Follow these instructions:
    • Do not flush the medication unless told to do so.
    • Remove medicine from original containers.
    • Mix with used coffee grounds, dirt, or kitty litter.
    • Place mixture of medicine and substance in a sealed bag that prevents leakage.
    • Place in the trash for regular collection.

Properly storing your medications:

• Proper storage is one way to help make sure your medicines remain safe and effective up to their expiration date. Be sure to read the label to see if there are specific storage instructions for your medicine.
• For most medicines, to help ensure the proper shelf life of your medicine, it is better to store medicine in a cool, dry place.
• To help keep medications away from children and pets, we recommend that households store medicines in a locked cabinet, closet, or safe.

Unsure of where to find the expiration dates on your medications or how to properly dispose of medications? Stop by and chat with us – we are happy to help!