When good medicine goes bad
"Will it cure me or kill me?" While the consequences may not be that drastic, taking old, outdated medications can be a serious health risk as well as a waste of money.

Take a look in your own medicine cabinet to see if evil is lurking among the good. Is it chock full of bottles with out-of-date labels, half-finished prescriptions from 1996, dried up tubes of ointments and creams, and other unidentifiable potions? If so, you're hoarding a toxic brew of useless and even dangerous drugs. And unlike old milk or stale food, you won't usually notice an odor. Here's how to sort it all out.

Out of date goes out the door
Check the expiration date on every over-the-counter medication and prescription. If the drug is past the expiration date, get rid of it. Don't keep it around for the next bout of the same illness. It won't do you any good. In fact, the chemical makeup and strength of medications can change over time and actually turn poisonous — leading to serious complications or even death!

Resist the urge to pass it on
Even if the prescription hasn't expired, don't keep it as a backup for someone else. Ideally, you should finish each prescription your doctor gives you, even if you start feeling better. It's not a good idea to save part of a prescription to give to your spouse or children if they develop the same symptoms. That dosage and strength was designed for you and your specific illness. When you're finished with a prescription, dispose of it promptly.

Loose pills are bad news
So you think you can identify those three little pills rolling around loose on the bathroom shelf. This is one time when guessing is not a good idea. Many medications look alike. If you have to know what they are, take them to your pharmacist. However, even if you do put names to the faces, you won't know how old they are. Better just tell them good-bye.

Unlike your wardrobe, don't mix and match your medications
Resist the urge to take your medications out of their original containers and store them in matching bottles. As pretty as they'd look, you could be compromising the effectiveness of the drugs, which were meant to be stored in their original containers, ugly as they might be. Don't store medicines in food or drink jars either, and don't mix different pills together. The dangers of taking the wrong medicine outweigh the convenience of having them all in one cute little bottle.

Medicines are sensitive folk
Unlike people, medications don't like light, which explains the darkly colored or opaque containers they come in. Light, cold or heat, and moisture can affect a medicine's potency. Most medications love cool, dry, dark places, between 59 and 80 degrees. So get them out of your bathroom and away from your kitchen sink before they go bad — you'll only have yourself to blame. The refrigerator, linen closet, or a drawer is better storage options. Just make sure they're safe from children and pets.

Disposing of medications safely
In the past, you probably read that old medications should be flushed down the toilet. While this prevents accidental ingestion of the medication, it creates pollution in wastewater. Scientists are finding traces of medications in fish and other aquatic life. Consider having your pharmacist dispose of your old pills, or take them to a hazardous waste disposal facility.

Or, wrap the drugs securely and put them in the trash — safely away from children and animals. The following steps will ensure safe disposal.

• Keep the medication in the original package. Cross out any information on the label with permanent marker, except for the name of the medication.
• Solid medications — add a small amount of water to a container pills to partial dissolve them before sealing the lid with duct tape.
• Liquid medications — add a strong spice such as dried mustard to liquid medications to discourage anyone from tasting them, and then seal the lid with duct tape.
• Blister packs — wrap the entire blister pack in duct tape.

Staying safe from medication mistakes
Here are a few simple tips to make sure you and your medications have a happy, healthy relationship.

• Make a list of the prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and anything else you take. You should also note any drug allergies. Update this information regularly, keep it handy, and make sure someone else knows where to find it. As a Humana member, you can keep track of this information quickly and easily with MyHealth Record. That's a secure area of your MyHumana home page where you can enter, save, and print your medical history.
• Not sure what your medications are for? Ask your doctor. You should know the name and strength of the medication, why you're taking it, and for how long. Put this information on your medication list. You should also understand any special instructions, such as the need to take with food or on an empty stomach. If you don't understand the label directions, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
• Remember that other drugs, over-the-counter medicines, herbal remedies, and even some foods, can interact with your medication. That's why you need to tell your doctor about EVERYTHING you're taking.
• If you experience any problems or side effects, talk with your doctor. Your doctor may decide to change the dosage or try a different medicine.
• When you pick up a new prescription or refill, make sure the drug and strength match what your doctor prescribed.
• Take each dose exactly as your doctor prescribes. If you have trouble remembering to take your medicines, ask your pharmacist to help you organize them.

Buying online? Beware!
While many legitimate Websites bring customers health products conveniently and sometimes at lower prices, the Internet has also created a marketplace for unapproved medical products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) offers some suggestions for buying medicines online:

• Make sure the site requires a prescription and has a pharmacist available for questions.
• Buy only from state-licensed pharmacies. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacies has more information about licensing and its program to certify online pharmacies.
• Don't provide personal information such as credit card numbers unless you are sure the site will protect them.

For more tips, visit the FDA Website.

Bottom line:
Take care of your medications, and they'll take care of you. Go through all your prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs every six months and weed out the expired ones. Keep everything else in a cool, dry, dark place and in its original container. You'll be assured the medications will work as they're intended, saving money and possibly your health.

Sources:
• Associated Content: Dangers of using expired medications, July 20, 2005
• Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance: Pharmaceutical Waste: Disposing of unwanted medications
• Virtual Hospital: Health Prose: Medicine Cabinet Safety Guidelines

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