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Flushing medications no longer recommendedAfter years of being told that unused medications should be flushed down the toilet, it is generally agreed upon that is no longer a wise course of action. The damage those toxins may cause to our eco-system are becoming an ever greater concern. Currently, it is recommended that medications be thrown in the garbage – but not just casually tossed away like unwanted table scraps, said New Ulm Medical Center Pharmacy Manager Reid Horning, Pharm.D. “There is a very specific process that is suggested to avoid the medications falling into the hands of those who would go purposely seeking unused narcotics or the unsuspecting neighborhood dogs or cats who might get into the garbage,” Horning said. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency advises keeping the medication in its original container because the labels may contain safety information and the caps are childproof, but removing the patient’s name or covering it with permanent marker. You should then add to the contents of the bottle to make it inedible. For instance, add a small amount of water to pills or capsules to partially liquefy them. In bottles of liquid medications, create an undesirable mixture by adding something like salt, flour, charcoal or powdered spice. Blister packs of medications should be wrapped in duct tape or some other kind of wrap that will obscure the contents of the package. But, you’re not done yet – the MPCA further recommends sealing the medication container lid shut with packing or duct tape and putting it inside an opaque bag or container such as an empty margarine or yogurt container before placing it in the garbage (not the recycling bin). “It takes more steps than the old, easy way of flushing it down the toilet,” Horning admits. “But, in the long run, this is the method that is safer for the environment, and safer for the people and animals in and around our homes.” |
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New Ulm Medical Center
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