Here’s what you can do to safely dispose of expired medicines

"There is an expiry date to it for a reason as those salts may have varying side effects, sometimes serious too," said Dr Shahzad Mirza, Associate Professor, Microbiology and Hospital Infection Control Officer, DPU Private Super Specialty Hospital, Pimpri, Pune

Make your inhaler puncture proof before throwing it away. (Source: Unsplash)

That big, fat pouch of medicines in the back of your closet is calling your name. How long has it been since you’ve looked at its contents? If you don’t remember, you’ve come to the right place because chances are those tablets can no longer be consumed.

“Other than disposing of your expired medicines, another reason why you could be looking to dispose of your old medicines could be because your healthcare provider has changed your prescription. Regardless of the reason, it is imperative you dispose of them in a safe way,” said Dr Shrey Srivastav, Assistant Professor, Department of Internal Medicine, Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida.

“They shouldn’t fall into the hands of children, or drug addicts. Neither should they mix up in the soil or the water supply as that will contaminate them and will lead to much more grave issues,” he added.

Similarly, Dr Shahzad Mirza, Associate Professor, Microbiology and Hospital Infection Control Officer, DPU Private Super Specialty Hospital, Pimpri, Pune, said, “Expired medicines are categorised as biomedical waste and hence cannot be discarded in normal dustbin.”

Dr Srivastav cautions against eating these medicines as not only will they not have any effect on the disease or problem for which they are consumed, they may also build up a resistance for other medicines which can be harmful in the long run.

“There is an expiry date to it for a reason as those salts may have varying side effects, sometimes serious too,” added Dr Mirza.

Here are some ways you can safely dispose of the medicines past their expiry dates.

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All non-toxic medicines can be flushed down the toilet, according to Dr Mirza. (Source: Unsplash)

Mix dry medicines with unsavoury materials

With tablets and other dry medicines, you can mix them in with unpleasant things like coffee grounds or dirt as that will deter anyone from taking them.

Dr Srivastav recommends taking an extra measure and crushing them before throwing them away.

Flush liquid medicines down the toilet

All non-toxic medicines can be flushed down the toilet, according to Dr Mirza. Things like cough syrups, and other liquids, are safe to flush off.

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Make inhalers puncture proof

Dr Srivastav advises making your inhalers puncture proof before throwing them away. “The product in the inhaler shouldn’t come out so you can lock it away in a zip lock before throwing or you can empty out the product in a normal glass of water,” he said.

Wrap pain patches properly before throwing

Pain patches contain powerful necrotic agents, which can harm the local area when it touches something, so Dr Srivastav recommends tightly wrapping them up in something before throwing them away.

If you’re segregating your waste, Dr Mirza said pain patches made of plastic can be disposed of in red bags and non-plastic patches can go in yellow bags, as per the directives of the government.

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