While medicine collection programs play an important role in reducing the amount of pharmaceutical chemicals entering the environment, there are also other effective actions that we can take.
Here are actions you can take to reduce the amount of unwanted medicine in your home.
- Purchase only as much medicine as you need.
- Say “No” to samples if you know that you won’t use them.
- Talk with your doctor about possible side effects, drug interactions, and the cost of medications. This can save you money as well as reduce pharmaceutical waste.
- When starting a new medication, ask your doctor to prescribe a limited quantity. Don’t automatically purchase a 30-, 60-, or 90-day supply. That way, if the medication doesn’t suit you, less goes to waste. Do the same for your pet’s medications.
- Keep track of what medications are in the home so that you don’t inadvertently purchase a product that you already have. Storing all your medications in a single safe, secure location can aid in this.
- Store medicine at the proper temperature and humidity as recommended on the label to avoid spoilage. Due to high humidity, a bathroom is not always the best place to store medicine.
FIND A DROP-OFF LOCATION
Use our interactive map to find a location near you to take your unwanted or expired medicine.