CityView Magazine

60 | Winter • 2009 I t's the season to be thinking about New Year's Resolutions and here's a good one: Clean out that collection of old medicines you've been hanging on to and throw them away in a manner that is safe for your family – and the environment. On prescription bottles, the label will often tell you when the medicine should be discarded. On over-the-counter medicines (and sample medicines) the expiration date is often printed on the label under "EXP" or stamped without ink into the bottom of a bottle, carton or the crimp of a tube. If you can't determine an expiration date, it's best to toss it. As time passes, medicines may lose their effectiveness, especially if they are stored in a warm, moist environment, like a bathroom medicine cabinet. In rare cases, outdated medicines can become toxic. For example, taking expired tetracycline, an antibiotic, can cause serious kidney problems. It was once thought OK to just flush medicines down the toilet, but the Environmental Protection Agency no longer recommends this. Sewage treatment plants may not be able to clean all medicines out of the water, and the medicines may harm fish and wildlife. For those with septic tanks, flushing is also not recommended as some medicines could actually interfere with the function of the septic tank. CV How To Throw Away Your Old Medicines Safely CLEAN CABINET MEDICINE THAT OUT By Sara VanderClute As time passes, medicines may lose their effectiveness, especially if they are stored in a warm, moist environment, like a bathroom medicine cabinet. In rare cases, outdated medicines can become toxic.

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