The Medicine Cabinet Makeover
You’ve probably tackled most of your spring cleaning by now: yard work, wardrobe swaps and dusting the baseboards, but health experts say there’s one area people often forget – outdated pharmaceuticals — and they could lead to dangerous mix-ups if overlooked.
The medicine cabinet.
Tucked between your economy-sized aspirin bottles, old cold medicine and random face cream samples lurks the potential for a serious medication mistake.
Older adults, especially, tend to accumulate medications over time. There are prescriptions that never got finished, half-used over-the-counter remedies, expired painkillers left over from surgeries years ago. Many of us may even have a stockpile of caregiving meds ranging from harmless to highly potent.
Dr. Jason Dunne, chief academic officer at Arizona College of Nursing, says that now is the perfect time to check expiration dates, replace seasonal medications like allergy and cold meds, and organize prescriptions.
“Keeping expired or unused medications in your home is more dangerous than most people realize,” Dunne says. “Over time, medications break down and lose their effectiveness and in some cases, can even become harmful to take.”
What to Toss
- passed their expiration date
- appear to have changed color
- are unlabeled or unidentifiable
At best, expired drugs may not work as well as intended. Some meds can lose potency over time and not provide the relief you expect. At worst, Dunne says, “having old bottles mixed in with current ones also increases the chances of accidentally taking the wrong medication” or incorrect dosage.
To be fair, there is some debate about drug expiration dates and what they really mean. Beginning in 1979, drug manufacturers were required to stamp an expiration date on their products. Using a drug past this date doesn’t automatically make it unsafe (it could just be less effective). Still, experts say it’s probably not worth taking that chance with your health.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends disposing of most types of unwanted medications through a drug take-back program or at an authorized collection site (see sidebar).
But, if a take-back program isn’t an option, your next step should be to read the medicine’s label and follow disposal instructions. If none are provided, check the FDA’s “flush list” to see if they can be discarded via the porcelain throne. Generally these are meds that are so harmful if accidentally taken or have such a high abuse potential that the FDA has determined it’s safer to flush them than keep them around.
Most other medications can be disposed of in the household trash, Dunne says, by mixing them (without crushing) with “an undesirable substance such as dirt, cat litter or used coffee grounds,” placing the mixture in a sealed container or plastic bag and throwing it away.
What to Keep
Dunne says medications may be kept if they are clearly labeled, within their expiration date and have been stored properly according to the package instructions.
Some medications require a bit of extra care when it comes to storage. For example, insulin often needs to be kept refrigerated until it’s opened, while inhalers and many liquid medications should be stored at room temperature and kept away from heat, moisture and direct sunlight.
Once you’re done culling your cabinet, make sure you have an efficient organizational system in place, he recommends. (If you’re a label-maker addict, this is your time to shine!) Keeping similar items together will make it easier to find what you need quickly.
“It’s always important to follow the storage instructions on the label, as improper storage can affect how well a medication works,” Dunne says. Keeping medications in a consistent, safe environment and checking labels regularly can help ensure they remain effective.
Pharmaceutical Take-Back Made Easy
The FDA really prefers that people dispose of any unused or expired medications (both prescription and OTC) using a take-back option, which could mean dropping the medicine off at a take-back location, or mailing your unwanted meds using a prepaid drug mail-back envelope.
Drug take-back locations are places that are registered with the Drug Enforcement Agency to collect unused or expired medicines, and after doing a brief search (which you can do on the DEA’s website) they’re everywhere. Most retail, hospital or clinic pharmacies and law enforcement facilities are on the list, typically offering on-site medicine kiosks or drop-off boxes.
If you’d prefer to mail your unwanted medications — which seems like extra hassle, for what it’s worth — you’d need to ask your pharmacist if they offer drug mail-back envelopes, or else purchase one from a retail pharmacy or online website. Then, put the medications into the envelope, seal it and mail it using the U.S. Postal Service.
Alternatively, the DEA periodically hosts National Prescription Drug Take Back events, during which temporary locations are set up in communities to encourage medicine disposal and educate people about the dangers of keeping expired or unused drugs in their home. (According to its website, 286 tons of meds were collected during the October 2025 event at 4,317 collection sites across the country. Find out when the next one will happen in your area.
