How to dispose of old meds

by Carson J. Blomquist

OptumCare

Employees from the Orange County Health Care Agency and Seal Beach Police Department collected Leisure World residents’ old or expired medications for safe destruction on Oct. 24. Over the past six years, the Drug Take Back Day events have resulted in the proper disposal and/or removal from illicit use of more than 1 ton of pharmaceuticals, 60 percent of which were opioids.

Dr. Sophia Chun at the Health Care Center offers these tips on managing medications:

• “Only take your meds as directed. Sometimes the instructions can be confusing. If you aren’t sure how to use a medication, give your doctor or pharmacist a call.”

• “Keep a list of your medications with you and bring it to at all your medical appointments, or take a photo of each bottle with your phone. Your primary doctor may prescribe medications; your specialists may prescribe others. Having that list means all your doctors can review your meds to make sure they are safe to take together.”

• “If the drug is expired, don’t take it! After the expiration date, medications can lose strength or change in their chemical structure.”

• “Don’t share your meds. You don’t know what medications the other person is taking. Sometimes medications can react [negatively with ones they are taking]. It isn’t worth taking a risk on someone’s health.”

If you have questions about your medications, call your doctor or the Health Care Center at (562) 493-9581.