Why 2 Experts Say You Should Clean Your Medicine Cabinet — and Their 5 Key Tips

When you're deciding where to store medication, Schwemm said, "You want to avoid environments that have big swings in humidity." Ironically, the room in your house with the most changes in humidity? Your bathroom. You should be fine, as long as it's equipped with vents and good air flow, although she advises keeping your medication containers sealed tight.

If you want to avoid the risk, though, Schwemm recommended storing medications in places like your dining room or a linen closet near the bathroom; areas that are almost as convenient but will keep your medications safe.

You'll also want to avoid temperatures over 104 degrees. Typically not a problem if your medication is just sitting in your house, but Schwemm cautioned to take care when you're travelling and put your pills in a cooler if possible. You shouldn't leave them in your car in the summer, either. "Cars can easily get to over 100 degrees in the summer, which can negatively impact the integrity of the medication," she said.

When you are ready to get rid of medication, it's not as simple as just tossing the bottle into the trash. There are some tricky rules for throwing out medications, so here are the best ways to do it, starting with our experts' number one recommendation.

1. Go to a take-back facility or drop-off box. The best way to get rid of drugs, Schwemm and Dr. Mackey agreed, is to take them to a medical take-back site, where professionals will dispose of them safely with no questions asked. You can find take-back sites near you through the Drug Enforcement Administration's website or through your county's website. Your pharmacy can also provide envelopes to mail in your medications instead.
2. Mix the medication with something unpalatable and toss it out. The second-best option for most drugs is to "mix it and pitch it," Schwemm said: take the medication out of the container and mix it in a plastic or Ziploc bag with an inedible substance like dirt, coffee grounds, or kitty litter. Zip it up or tie it up, double-bag it if you can, and throw it in the garbage.
3. Flush opioids, if you can't take them to a facility. If you're getting rid of an opioid, like Vicodin, OxyContin, or Percocet, both experts agreed that it's better to flush them down the toilet than throw them away. Delivering them to a take-back facility is preferred, but if that's not an option, "flushing is the best choice for public safety," Schwemm said. Dr. Mackey noted the environmental concerns over this option, but said, "The feeling was, based on the current opioid crisis, that the benefits of flushing overcome the potential environmental risks. I'm very concerned with the environment, personally," he added, "and I would have to agree with those recommendations. It is better to flush them and get them out of the house and reduce potential exposure."

Take-back facilities and take-back boxes will accept medications in gel and cream form as well. If you're doing the "mix it and pitch it" option, Schwemm said to follow the same basic steps: remove your name and information from the label and either drop the tube in a plastic bag, or squeeze out the medication into the bag.

Needles are a little trickier. If take a medication that comes with a needle for self-injection, you'll need to put them in a sharps container, which Schwemm says you can get at a pharmacy or local lab. If you don't have a sharps container, you can also set a needle in an orange juice jug or liquid laundry detergent bottle before bringing them to a take-back facility.

Before you toss the empty tube or pill bottle in the trash, both Schwemm and Dr. Mackey recommended blocking out any identifying information, like your name, address, or contact information, for the sake or personal safety. You can also tear the label off and send it through a shredder, or, Schwemm said, carefully take match or a lighter to the label, which will blacken out the information.