The Risks of Holding On to Old Prescriptions

Have you checked your medicine cabinet lately?

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is October 24, making it a good time to clear out expired or unused medications.

"National Drug Take Back Day provides a safe and anonymous way to dispose of medications you no longer need. Dropping them off at a participating pharmacy or collection site helps reduce the risks of keeping unused medications at home,” explained John Hanicak, MD, family medicine physician at Cleveland Clinic.

According to Dr. Hanicak, the easiest way to tell whether a medication has expired is by checking the date on the bottle or packaging.

If you can't find an expiration date, look for discoloration, texture changes or an unusual smell that could signal a medication is no longer safe to use.

But it's best to err on the side of caution and dispose of anything you're not sure about at a designated drug take-back location.

Dr. Hanicak said keeping expired or unused medications increases the risk of them being taken by someone they weren't prescribed for.

It's also important to remember that expired medications become less effective over time and may not work as intended.

“If a medication has lost its effectiveness, it may not work when you need it most,” Dr. Hanicak said. “For emergency medications like an asthma inhaler, that could lead to serious health consequences.”

Along with prescription medications, Dr. Hanicak said over-the-counter medicines can also lose effectiveness over time. 

That's why it's a good idea to dispose of expired products like cough syrups as well.