Spring Cleaning Is Still In Style For The Medicine Chest

Spring cleaning seems like such an old-fashioned concept. Years ago this was the time to put warm coats and sweaters away, store the heavy quilts and get rid of the junk that piled up in the attic or the cellar.
These days we’re far too busy to really tackle attic to cellar cleaning. But there’s one place in your house that still deserves your attention. Chances are good that you haven’t cleaned out your medicine chest in years.
Admit it, you probably have some Tylenol #3 left over from a long-ago dental procedure. There may still be some Vicodin from when your back went out. Maybe you have left-over amoxicillin from a kid’s ear infection or Zyrtec from that bad allergy attack a couple of years ago.
Most people store old drugs in the bathroom medicine chest, kitchen drawers and nightstands. Given how pricey most pills are these days, it’s no wonder we don’t want to get rid of them. But this is a great time both to discard old meds and make sure your first aid kit is properly stocked.
First, there’s the question of storage. Despite its name, the bathroom medicine chest is no place to keep medicines. Most do best when stored away from heat and moisture, and if you check the mirror when you climb out of the shower, you’ll discover the bathroom has both.
In a household with children or grandchildren, kitchen drawers and nightstands aren’t ideal, either. Finding a place that is out of easy reach may be a challenge, but it could prevent a tragedy.
Both prescription and non-prescription medicines have an expiration date noted somewhere on the label. Many pharmacies don’t bother to actually check the official expiration date on the original container. Instead, to save time, they automatically assign an expiration date one year from the date of dispensing. That means that some medicines will still be good even after their expiration date, but you won’t be able to tell.
Why shouldn’t you keep old prescriptions? The main issue is potency. After the expiration date, the medicine may not work as expected. There are even a few drugs that can change chemically and may eventually become dangerous.
Anything that is a few years old should be thrown out. But don’t flush those pills down the toilet. You will be adding your medicine to water pollution. In some communities, downstream drug levels are high enough to be considered a problem.
Don’t just throw old pills into the trash, either. Children or pets may get into them. If you are not sure your trash is secure, you can take them to a drugstore and ask the pharmacist to discard them for you.
Once you have thrown out all your old pills, it’s time to restock. In the case of a sleeping pill or some other medicine you use only occasionally, this can serve as a reminder to ask your physician for a new prescription at your next visit.
While you’re at the pharmacy, get your first aid kit ready for summer. You’ll need aspirin and an assortment of adhesive bandages. A few sterile gauze pads, tape and a compression bandage round out those supplies.
Last year’s sunscreen and insect repellent may also have expired. Be sure to stock up on fresh supplies, since preventing misery is far easier than treating it.