The Importance of Disposing of Pillboxes

Pills play a key role in treating diseases and illnesses. However, it’s essential to dispose of pillboxes you no longer need or are expired to reduce the risk of intentional misuse. It also prevents animals or other people from accidentally consuming those pills and experiencing side effects. Discarded pills can also harm the environment.

Some pills can be hazardous for people who are not meant to take them. Children specifically are at high risk of consuming such pills if you don’t dispose of their pillboxes. People should also dispose of boxes of expired, unused, unidentified, and unwanted pills.

Things to Remember

Let’s take a look at some aspects that highlight the significance of disposing of pillboxes:

It Prevents Misuse

It is crucial to dispose of unwanted pillboxes immediately to prevent people from accidentally misusing them. Neglecting to dispose of pillboxes, it can cause severe health damage to the person who takes them.

It Protects Animals

You should also keep in mind that disposing of pillboxes can also affect animals’ health if they find it in the trash and accidentally eat it.  

It Limits The Access of Opioid

Medicines or pills that languish in our homes are vulnerable to significant abuse, particularly in the case of opioid prescription drugs. A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent suggests around 68% of drug overdose deaths in 2017 involved abuse of an opioid. More than half of individuals who misused such pills acquired them from their relatives or friends.

In addition to the point mentioned above, 19% of individuals who commit suicide use medication or poison. That’s why safely disposing of expired pillboxes is crucial to combat issues such as opioid misuse.

It Supports Public Health And The Environment

Safely disposing of pillboxes can improve the environment and public health. Many people flush pills or medications down their toilets or throw them away. Though these practices are not entirely wrong, they may lead to health hazards. The best way to dispose of pillboxes is by dropping them in the boxes of Drug Take-Back Programs. This can help promote an environment where people can live healthier.  

Way to Dispose of Pillboxes

Here are a few ways to dispose of pillboxes:

Drug Take-Back Programs

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) runs National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day in all the communities nationwide. Many of these communities also run their such programs. To safely dispose of pillboxes, you need to consult your local law enforcement officials to help you find a take-back facility near you.

You can also check with your local pharmacy, as some pharmacies provide medicine drop-off boxes to help people dispose of pillboxes.

Flushing Pillboxes

You need to dispose of pillboxes immediately since they can harm others. If there is no drug-take-back option available and the medication is on the FDA’s flush list, it’s better to flush it down the toilet.

Throwing Pillboxes in the Trash

If you can’t take the pillboxes to the disposal location, you can safely throw them in the trash. You can dispose of most pillboxes in the trash if:

• There is no take-back facility in your area
• The pillbox does not have any instructions about safe disposal
• The pill is not on the FDA’s flush list

Wrapping Up!

It is essential to dispose of unwanted pillboxes or pills since others, especially children and pets, can consume these pills. Medications can be hazardous if someone misuses them. The best way to dispose of pillboxes is to take them to the drug-take-back facility. If it’s not possible, carefully throw them in the trash.