According to ABC 7 last year, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration held the first ever National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Tons of drugs were properly disposed of at designated locations.
Unwanted, unused or expired prescription drugs in your medicine cabinet are potential dangers waiting to happen.
“As these medications sit around, maybe a family member has a cough and think, ‘oh, my mom has some antibiotic on the shelf, maybe I’ll just try that,” said Dr. Mark Pregenzer, a pharmacist at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
“If somebody really wants… is a medication addict or something and they start searching through trash, that may not stop them,” said Pregenzer.
Experts say having excess medications around can contribute to opiate abuse, confusion (especially among the elderly), and antibiotic resistance because you haven’t finished your medicine.
“You shouldn’t come back to it in a year and think, ‘oh maybe I should try this antibiotic for my condition.’ You really need to get proper treatment with a physician,” said Pregenzer.
Although the abuse of prescription medications after plastic surgery is rare, it can occur. Dr. O’Toole advises his patients to follow all of prescription directions following surgery. Antibiotics should be taken until finished in most cases. Narcotic pain medication and muscle relaxants are often prescribed following abdominoplasty and breast augmentation. These unused medications should be disposed of following recovery. In the wrong hands, and taken in ways other than prescribed, these medications can be dangerous.
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