Medicine Waste and Storage Tips
Medicine storage is common to all of us. Follow these easy tips to better storage.
1. Purge…even before you sort, throw away the old, out-of-date medicines. The Longs in Montclair has a medical recycle program. Check with your local pharmacy or go to www.stopwaste.org for other options in Alameda County. Pour remaining medicines in to a zip-lock bag. Make sure there are no bottles or other containers with your name or any labels on them and return them to the store or hazardous waste drop off.
2. Sort what is left by user . Sort by person and keep one group for general use: Mom, Dad, older kids by name, younger kids by name or by general group, general medicines that multiple family members use like aspirin or cold med.s. Separate First Aid items into their own category.
3. Decide where to store the Medicines and First Aid: The bathroom is not always the best choice as this room can be very moist. Look for a place that is out of reach of the kids, maybe a high shelf in a linen closet is your answer. First Aid bandages, cotton, band aids and ace bandages may be placed lower so kids can help themselves while the antiseptic could go higher.
4. Store the medicines in those groupings you made earlier. Use small containers like shoe boxes or plastic bins (smaller ones) for each group and label them clearly.
