Photo by David K on Flickr
Chances are, you have expired medications in your bathroom/pantry/closet/travel bag. Do yourself and Mother Earth a favor and dispose of these medications in a responsible way: Instead of flushing them down the toilet so they contaminate the water supply, or of throwing them away in the garbage without processing them properly so they end up leaching into a landfill, bring them to the First District Substation, 500 E Street SE, on Saturday, September 26 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a national event to help you get rid of your expired medications safely, and to raise awareness that you should probably not take the Excedrin Migraine you bought in grad school.
If you don’t live on the Hill, or if it’s more practical for you to dispose of your medications elsewhere, you can find other locations in the area using this link: bit.ly/Medtakeback. If you miss the fun (??) on Saturday, there are permanent sites to dispose of your medication in the region, which you can find through this link: bit.ly/managemedication. (Our closest one is at the Department of Health, 899 North Capitol Street, NE).
By the way: here are some tips on proper medicine disposal from our friends at DC Water.
With the exception of controlled substances, many unwanted medicines can be discarded with household trash by following the instructions below. If you are unsure if your medication is a controlled substance, consult a licensed pharmacist or check local laws to determine if trash disposal is an option.
1. Take your prescription drugs out of their original containers.
2. Mix drugs with an undesirable substance, such as cat litter or used coffee grounds.
3. Put mixture into a disposable container that can be sealed, like a plastic bag.
4. Conceal or remove any personal information on empty containers, including Rx number, by covering it with permanent marker or by scratching it off.