Check your medicine cabinets for expired prescription drugs: Here's what to do with them - KBSI Fox 23 Cape Girardeau News | Paducah News

JACKSON Mo. (KBSI) – Doctors, Pharmacists, and Law enforcement is now warning it’s important to remember how to handle your prescribed medication when it’s expired and you’re no longer using it.

Your fridge and pantry aren’t the only places you should be checking expiration dates.

Check your medicine cabinet for any medication you are not currently using that has been prescribed to you to see if it’s expired and how to keep it from falling into the wrong hands.

Prescription drugs are meant to help but they can also hurt especially if they are outdated or not meant for you.

Brian Thompson is a Pharmacist Owner at Jones Drug Store in Jackon.

He says there are correct ways to get rid of old medication using a drop box or taking it to local police.

“You can usually drop it off at any police station I know. Jackson Police and the Cape County Sheriff’s Department have 24 hour 7 days a week drop box where you can drop off medicine,” said Thompson.

While Thompson’s Pharmacy does not have a drop box there are many pharmacies that do.

Thompson explains many people mistakenly decide to flush it down the toilet or throw it away.

Thompson says the EPA is trying to prevent these medications from getting into the soil because it can cause a tolerance to the medications in the future for people that need it.

“You do not want to flush it or put it in the trash to let it go out to the environment because a lot of times if those bottles are dumped in that medicine will actually get into the soil.”

Thompson stresses that you do not want to simply throw the medication away due to dumpster diving that can cause issues.

You can put almost any old medication in a drop box but here is what you cannot put in a drop box.

“They do both have drop boxes there that you can bring in expired medicine as long as it’s not liquid or any kind of syringes, needles or anything like that if it’s tablets or anything like that you can safely put those in the drop box,” said Thompson.

Once the medicine is dropped off in a drop box at the police station or the pharmacy the DEA will conceal the medication or burn it to where it is not put to use.

Local police and pharmacists encourage people to drop off their expired medication in a drop box at a police station or pharmacy near you.