Opioids for acute pain are meant to be a part of a short-term treatment plan. Before taking these medicines, be sure to educate yourself about possible side effects and the risk of misuse, addiction or overdose.
Not sure what to do with all the medicine cluttering up your medicine cabinet? Old painkillers. Expired Antibiotics. Piles of prescriptions or over the counter medicines you never finished for one reason or another.
You know you have to keep them out of the hands of other people, especially if you have children or teenagers in the house. But, you can't flush them down the toilet because they can get into the water supply and contaminate it. And throwing them out isn't an option — that poses safety and health hazards.
So, what to do?
The answer is the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day hosted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), this Saturday, April 24 — a safe, anonymous and free way to dispose of unused or unwanted medications.
You can bring your old or unwanted medications to approved locations around the country and safely dispose of them. And free up some space in your medicine cabinet for that bold new lipstick you've been eyeing.
Visit the DEA website to find a location near you
