Ensure proper handling of your prescription medicine Published Sept. 14, 2010 By Tech. Sgt. Vernon Cunningham 82nd Training Wing Public Affairs SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Patients at the Sheppard Pharmacy commonly ask what they should do with the excess bottles of medicine that are lying around their house. In finding the answer to that question, the authorities on the subject of how to properly dispose of unused medication have recently changed their mind. Sheppard's pharmacy is unable to take back unused medications, but have provided a few tips on how to safely dispose of unused medication. Capt. Adam Willett, 82nd Medical Support Squadron staff pharmacist, said the first step for deciding what to do with old medication is to check whether it is expired. If a medication does not have an expiration date on the bottle then it is good for one year after the fill date. Expired medication may still retain some effectiveness, but the patient may not be getting the full effects. The captain said using an expired antibiotic will cause a different undesired outcome. "Using antibiotics outside of the recommendation of a provider is one of the reasons that some strains of bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics that have kept them in check for years," said Captain Willett. "Often, someone will use an antibiotic for an infection, like a cold, where it does no good. In that case they are putting themselves at risk for creating a resistant bacteria and not receiving any benefits from the medication when they actually need it." Captain Willett said once it has been determined which medications are no longer needed, it is important to follow the new recommendations for medication disposal. "Recently the Food and Drug Administration and Office of Drug Control Policy have reversed their recommendation of flushing all used medications down the toilet," said the captain. "Flushing medications down the toilet can unnecessarily add drug residues to lakes and rivers. Drug particles are usually not filtered by waste water treatment plants and it is better to not risk adding extra pharmaceuticals to the environment." Instead, the Sheppard Pharmacy recommends the following methods of disposal: - Follow any specific disposal instruction on the drug label or patient information leaflet, if provided. For example, some powerful narcotic pain relievers and controlled substances carry instructions for flushing down the toilet to reduce risk of unintentional overdose or abuse. The instructions on the bottle would supersede the overall direction to not flush the medication. - If no instructions are given, then medications should be disposed of by taking the drugs out of their original container, crushing them or dissolving them in water, and mixing them with an undesirable substance such as kitty litter or coffee grounds. Place the mixture in a sealable bag or other impermeable, nondescript container to prevent it from leaking out of the garbage bag. - Mark out any identifying information on the prescription label to make it unreadable. This will help protect your identity and the privacy of your personal health information. Following the above recommendations will keep families and pets safe while keeping medications out of the surface water and drinking supplies. For more information on medication disposal, visit www.fda.gov/consumer or contact your pharmacist.