It’s that Anticipated Time… Spring Cleaning! Every year we are quick to get out the cleaning supplies and go to work “Spring Cleaning” various areas in our house and surroundings. Tackling jobs that perhaps we have put off during regular house cleaning lists during the year. Every year we are excited and content after reviewing our accomplishments and checking off our “To Do” list.
But one area usually tends to go forgotten: the medicine cabinet. This might not be an area that you normally think of however, it is an important one that I would urge you to add to your To Do List, right next to changing those batteries in the smoke detectors.
If you are like me and take several daily medications, you might have prescriptions and over the counter drugs that are out of date and need to be discarded of properly. Don’t Wait-This is the Time!
Maybe you think you don’t have that many medications around that house. Maybe you wonder how people even find themselves having to spring clean the medicine cabinet.
Here is my story so that you can understand a reality for a lot of people. For many years, my doctors have gone back and forth prescribing different medications and different doses for Chronic conditions. All of my doctors are in communication with each other and I always use one pharmacy to fill my prescriptions for safety reasons.
I would pick up a prescription from my local pharmacy and begin to take it only to end up with a side effect or the medication wouldn’t be as effective as originally believed. I would put that bottle in my medicine cabinet with the thought that I might need it again, and then I would forget it was there over time. My doctors and I would try different medications and different doses so while I had the same medication, I might have it in 3 different doses that I would keep as well. Why pay for costly medications when I could just keep them until the day came when I would need them again?
My prescriptions were not kept in one place. They were in different places depending on the type of medication and the time of day I was supposed to be taking it. For example, evening medications were kept in my night stand. Morning prescriptions were kept in my bathroom (now I am told that decreased effectiveness so move your medications if you keep them here). Midday prescriptions were kept in another place. It was only when a critical, almost devastating circumstance with my teenager made me take inventory and “Spring Clean” my medication.
I have created a medication log that you can download from my Etsy store for easy inventory of your prescriptions.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/985163820/medication-list?ref=listing_published_alert
Important items to know for you and a health care professional. I also keep a smaller version in my wallet as well in case of an emergency. I suffer from Chronic Migraines and I have had to present my list when I was not able to speak or think of my current prescriptions and doses.
I have compiled the following questions:
- Your prescription Name
- What is the condition it is prescribed for?
- Who is the prescription for? Which member of your family takes this?
- What is the dosage and frequency of this medication?
- What is the expiration date of this medication?
- Do you have any notes pertaining to your medication, such as take with food; Do not take with Grapefruit, etc.
Now that you have gone through all of your medications and are ready to dispose of them, what next?
DO NOT THROW PRESCRIPTIONS MEDICATIONS IN THE TOILET OR DISGARD PRESCRIPTION MEDICATIONS DOWN THE SINK.
This has known to contaminate water even with the current water filtering. Call your pharmacy and see how they want you to discard your medications. Many will take them and discard of them for you. Cities usually have set times during the year that they take back medications and dispose of them properly, so please check with your city for times.
When I had to take inventory, I didn’t realize how many medications I had and sadly most expired and I shouldn’t have even had them. Unnecessary medications whether new or old, not in use do not need to be around your house if you live with children, unless you have them in a locked space just as you would a firearm or any other deadly item.
I would love to hear from you about your “Spring Cleaning”. How did it go? Did you find that you had many items you were surprised with? Don’t you feel much safer and confident knowing that you have tackled one more space in your house and made everyone safer?
If you find value in this subject, please forward this to friends and family. This topic is so important and needs to be a discussion in your house.
Please contact me on social media at dramafree_mama or comment below and let me and other readers know your thoughts. I would love to connect with you and get to know you.
