What Can I Do With My Old and Expired Medications?

Disposing of medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, appropriately is essential. Expired medicines can change and may not work as expected, or their effects may have been affected by time, temperature, or exposure to light. A few drugs may even be harmful if taken past the expiry date.

What are some options for medication disposal? 

• Bring your expired medications into our pharmacy. This way, you can ensure that your old medicines will not harm anyone or the environment.
• Inquire about local take-back programs. Some local police stations and other town resources occasionally offer days that you can bring in your expired medications, and they will safely dispose of them for you. 
• DO NOT dispose of your medications down the toilet or in the garbage can.

Clean out your clutter! Yes, in the medicine cabinet.

Since expired medications are just creating clutter in your home, you should eliminate them. It is recommended to regularly check with the pharmacist or doctor if you need to take any of these medicines still. Disposing of expired medications will also help protect the environment because drugs thrown away in household waste could contaminate water bodies and landfills.

If you have any questions on which medications can affect your health, talk with one of our pharmacists, and they will be able to help you out. Ensure not to mix old and new medicines as it could lead to an overdose or mixing of different kinds of medicine, leading to adverse effects.

Why you should dispose of your medications properly?

• Unintentional poisonings: For most, taking expired medications is not dangerous, but a few drugs can cause adverse effects if taken after their expiration date. 
• People who may come into contact with your medications: It is essential to dispose of your medications properly if there are others in your household. There might be children who will get access to them and ingest them or pets if they think they are treats or other food. If an unintentional poisoning occurs, get in touch with Poison Control Centre for immediate treatment advice. 
• The environment: Expired medication thrown away improperly, like in household waste, can contaminate our water bodies and cause environmental problems down the road.

If you are unsure of a medication and how it will work for you, give one of our pharmacists a call. We are here to help.