When is the last time you cleaned out your medicine cabinet? Chances are, you have old prescriptions and expired drugs from forgotten sicknesses of yesteryear. Think they are harmless? Think again. Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs said “the risks for accidental poisoning for kids increase with every bottle of pills you keep.”
Since our medicine cabinets can become a dumping ground for old drugs, we should be taking inventory of our stock every year – and spring cleaning is the perfect season for purging that ominous cupboard, and protecting those you love the most.
There are many benefits to getting rid of unused medication. Aside from taking away gossip material from nosy guests, teens can also benefit from have this temptation removed; they are among the highest of those at risk of taking pills they come across, whether for emotional, experimental, or addictive reasons.
Leftover pills are far from harmless. In fact, aking them incorrectly or accidentally could be deadly or land a child in the ER, especially if t leftover narcotic painkillers, such as Oxycontin, Percocet and Vicodin are involved.
Prescription sleep-aids like Ambien, as well as anti-anxiety medications like Xanax, can also be problematic. Ensure medications like these are secure; either locked away or well hidden out of the reach of children.
Over-the-counter medicines have potential to be an issue, especially if things look or taste like candy. So take care of what you keep on hand.
A recent survey found that 19 percent of people hadn’t cleaned out their medicine cabinet in over three years!
National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, which is April 29, is the perfect time to turn in leftover and expired medication for safe disposal. But if you throw them out, be sure to remove any personal information from the bottle first, and mix the drugs with something unappealing, like coffee grounds or kitty litter, before sealing in a plastic bag, and tossing in the garbage.
Along with protecting your children of all ages from potentially harmful medications, don’t forget to protect them with your own McGruff Safe Kit. Request yours today!
