Cleaning
Expiry Date
Medical Cabinet
Medication
Medication Disposal System
New Year
Practitioner Blog

Fresh Start to the New Year by Cleaning Out Your Medicine Cabinet

All Pure Integrative Pharmacies have access to a medication disposal systemwhich protects us as well as our environment. It is very important to dispose of expired and unused medications safely. Start the year off by going through your medicine cabinet, kitchen cabinets, hand bags, first aid kits or where ever you store medication and bring all expired, unused medication into your nearest Pure Pharmacy. All medications have expiry dates. The expiry date is the date given by the manufacturer to guarantee the medication has full potency and is safe. Over time drugs lose strength and some may have toxic byproducts. The expiry date is listed as month and year. That is 01/13 means an expiry date of January 31, 2013. Prescription drugs should only be taken or used by the person they were prescribed as well as the reason they were prescribed for. For example, all antibiotics are not effective for all infections. If you are prescribed a medication for occasional use or travel a Pure pharmacist would be happy to add the expiry date on the label at the time of dispensing. Eye drops should be discarded 1 month after opening (unless otherwise specified) or if it changes in colour or appearance. This is to prevent contamination. If you use needles and syringes ask the pharmacist for a sharps container which can be used to store the products and then when full or finished returned to the pharmacy for safe disposal. Pure Pharmacy can help with the disposal of all prescription, nonprescription, herbal products, vitamins and minerals, and supplements. Don’t forget your ointments, creams, drops, inhalers and injections. The Pure pharmacist will treat all returns with confidentiality. When you are finished cleaning out all expired, damaged, or unused medication you may choose to restock your home first aid kit with the following traditional and/or naturopathic medication:

  1. Pain reliever fever reducer eg. Acetaminophen, Taumeel
  2. Allergy medication eg. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Hisaminum
  3. Nausea medication eg. Dimenhydrinate (Gravol), Ginger
  4. Diarrhea medication eg. Loperamide (Imodium), Florastor
  5. Topical antibiotic eg. Polysporin ointment, Calendula

The above are just suggestions and everyone’s requirements are different. Speak to your Pure Integrative Pharmacy pharmacist about which product(s) would be best for you. Have a happy and healthy New Year! Written By: Dorothy Cram, Bsc. (Pharm), Compounding Pharmacist, Pharmacy Manager, Pure at Kitsilano