LINCOLN – When it comes to spring cleaning, you might think washing windows, shampooing carpets, or clearing dust bunnies from under the bed.
Don’t let old medications collect dust. Make sure you clean out your medicine cabinet as part of your spring cleaning routine, and take any unused or expired medications back to a pharmacy or other approved collection center for proper disposal.
A recent Consumer Reports survey showed that one-third of Americans haven’t cleaned out their medicine cabinet in at least a year, and one-fifth haven’t in three years.
When you check your medicine cabinet, you’re likely to find a variety of unused, expired, and unneeded medications. These should be disposed of properly because:
It’s unsafe to reuse medications.

Unused medications are often ineffective because they’ve been kept past their expiration date or stored improperly.
Unused medication has the potential to fall into the wrong hands, and may lead to drug abuse or accidental poisoning.
Over-the-counter and prescription medications can contaminate waterways – rivers, lakes, and groundwater – when flushed, put down the drain, or thrown in the trash. Most water treatment facilities do not have the capacity to remove these compounds.
How do I get rid of my old medications?
Instead of flushing or trashing those old medications, take them to a pharmacy participating in the Nebraska MEDS Initiative. Over 300 pharmacies across the state accept medications for proper disposal, giving consumers an easy and safe method of keeping medications out of the environment and from falling into the wrong hands. Every day is Take-Back Day in Nebraska.
Since August 2012, over 40,000 pounds of medication have been collected by Nebraska pharmacies for safe disposal as part of Nebraska MEDS. Find a participating pharmacy near you at www.nebraskameds.org or call the Nebraska Regional Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222. These pharmacies will take back your medications for free, no questions asked.
You can also take them to a collection site on Saturday, April 29 as part of the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day provides a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs, reducing the potential for abuse, accidental overdose, and environmental impact. Find a collection site at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal
/takeback/.