Q. How do you advise people to dispose of their prescription and over the counter drugs safely? I worry about this stuff being flushed down the toilet and contaminating the water supply.
A. Flushing unused or outdated medications down the toilet is a bad idea for that very reason. The government is suggesting that unused drugs, especially potent pain relievers or sleeping pills, be mixed with something nasty before putting them in the trash. Used kitty litter has been proposed to make the pills unpalatable to children, pets and drug addicts.
One veterinarian complained to us, however, that mixing drugs with used kitty litter is dangerous for dogs and some other animals that find used kitty litter appetizing. Ask a pharmacist about other ways to dispose of unused medicines.
