by Mayo Clinic News Network

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National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Oct. 26. Leftover or expired medications can be dangerous if not disposed of properly. Safely getting rid of unneeded prescriptions, like opioids or expired drugs, is essential to prevent misuse and accidental harm.

Dr. Tina Ardon, a Mayo Clinic family medicine physician, says proper medication disposal helps safeguard your home and community from unnecessary risks. Learn why it's important to clean out old medications safely.

Is your medicine cabinet lined with prescriptions you're no longer using?

"It's not uncommon that I hear patients have a lot of leftover medications or medications they no longer need to use, and that can include opioid pain medications, maybe after surgery or an injury," says Dr. Ardon.

Leftover medications

Use medication as prescribed. Holding on to medication for potential future use is discouraged.

"There can be the tendency sometimes to reach for something that was used for another purpose, for a new pain. And we want to make sure, again, our patients are using medications that are right for their issue," she says.

And it's not just pain medication. Using any medicine for something it wasn't meant for may lead to side effects or other problems.

"A common example is using leftover antibiotics that can cause resistance to some of the bacteria that are out there. We want to make sure we are using our antibiotics appropriately," says Dr. Ardon.

She says take your medications completely as prescribed and safely dispose of those you are no longer using. You can check with your local pharmacy or … "Consider National Take Back Day, which is a great way to be able to dispose of your medication safely, and we can all contribute to having safer practices with our medications," says Dr. Ardon.

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