What you need (and don’t need) in the medicine cabinet

Time for spring cleaning! National Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet Day falls annually on the third Friday of April — on April 18 this year. It’s a good reminder to not only get rid of expired or no-longer needed supplies and meds, but also make sure you have what you need when you need it.

This observance was started by a company called DisposeRx, which is in the business of (as the name implies) of helping people safely discard medications. Whether or not they intended it as a promotion of their services, they’ve done us a favor by reminding us each year of this important task.

First, though, let’s look at what it means when a medication is expired.

Since 1979, drug manufacturers have been required to stamp an expiration date on their products. This is the date at which the manufacturer guarantees the full potency and safety of the medication. With the exception of nitroglycerin, insulin and liquid antibiotics, most drugs are OK to use well after their “expiration date”; they may just lose some potency.

So you can save money by not automatically throwing out “expired” aspirin or acetaminophen. You can also make medications last longer by keeping them in a cool, dry place away from pets, kids and adolescents. The bathroom medicine cabinet, despite its name, is about the worst place to keep them because of warmth, humidity and accessibility.

OK, time to restock. What should your medicine cabinet contain? The most useful medications are those that help deal with common aches, allergies and illnesses.

• Pain relievers/fever reducers: Acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol), ibuprofen (i.e. Motrin) or aspirin. Have a thermometer (a noncontact digital one is fine) to check for fever before giving fever-reducers to children.

• Antihistamines: Medications such as Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec or their generic equivalents.

• Antacids: This can include tablets like Tums or liquids like milk of magnesia.

• Decongestants: Common ones include Sudafed and Neo-Synephrine. Be careful using nasal decongestants, as they can cause rebound congestion.

• Cough suppressants: Research has found that these products aren’t all that effective, but if you’re troubled by a dry cough, you can keep dextromethorphan or throat lozenges on hand.

• Eye drops: Artificial tears, moisturizing drops or allergy relief drops can ease irritations.

• Antidiarrheal: Don’t be caught without some Imodium, Pepto-Bismol or their generic cousins.

Beyond medications, make sure you keep some sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) and insect repellent — those containing DEET maintain effectiveness for up to three years. You also should have for first aid some antibacterial ointment, bandages, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes and alcohol swabs. Keep a kit like this in the car, too.

Tweezers will help extract slivers or ticks. Small scissors are helpful sometimes in removing bandages.

If you do end up with out-of-date or unneeded prescriptions (including prescriptions that a pet may have had), dispose of them safely. The next National Prescription Take-Back Day is April 26. Since 2010, nearly 10,000 tons of drugs have been collected. For information, visit dea.gov/takebackday.

To find a participating site in Illinois, visit medtakebackillinois.org.

If you need to dispose of medications at home, here are some tips.

Trash what you can trash

It’s not a good idea to throw pill bottles — empty or containing medications — into the trash.

First, take the drugs out of their containers. Don’t crush pills or open capsules.

Next, mix the drugs with kitty litter, coffee grounds or some other yucky material. Put the mixture into a sealed container or sealable plastic bag and place it in the garbage.

Before tossing prescription bottles, remove the labels or use a permanent marker to cover up personally identifiable information, such as your name and address.

Flush unneeded opioids

If a take-back option isn’t available, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends flushing opioids to get them out of the home immediately. Go to fda.gov and search “flush list” for the eligible drugs.

Deal with sharps

Because of the boom in injectable weight-loss drugs, more sharps are being discarded. Immediately place used sharps in an approved collection container, available at pharmacies. When it’s about three-fourths full, seal and dispose of it at a pharmacy, hazardous waste collection facility or through a mail-back program. For state-specific guidance, the FDA recommends contacting info@safeneedledisposal.org.

When we handle and dispose of medications properly, we’re not only keeping ourselves and our families safe — we are also helping keep our communities safe. This spring, let’s all do our part.

• Teri (Dreher) Frykenberg, a registered nurse, board-certified patient advocate, is the founder of www.NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com, which trains medical professionals to become successful private patient advocates. She is the author of “How to Be a Healthcare Advocate for Yourself & Your Loved Ones,” available on Amazon. Frykenberg offers a free phone consultation to readers. Contact her at Teri@NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com.