Almost all of us have medicine cabinets/chests/boxes filled with various medications needed over the years. Some of them may be prescription, others may be over-the-counter, but all of them need to be disposed of properly.
Keeping old medicines can be hazardous, or even deadly, especially if there are children in the home. Over half of child poisoning involves medications. So ... what should you do? Perhaps it would be best to list off a few things that you absolutely should no do first.
DO NOT flush the old medication down the drain. The medication will contaminate the water as most water treatment facilities are not equipped to handle the removal of pharmaceuticals from the water.
DO NOT toss old medication in the garbage as they can easily be retrieved.
In 2017, Spokane introduced three medication disposal kiosks located at three of the Spokane Police Departments. These kiosks are available 24/7 for the safe disposal of all unwanted or expired medication. They are located at: 1100 West Mallon Avenue, 5124 North Market Street and 221 West First Avenue.
Instead, check out this brochure provided by the Spokane Valley Police Department:
You can also check out this website for more information on drop-off locations nation-wide:
Or access this brochure with more information of how to dispose of your meds at a Solid Waste Disposal Facility: