What to Do with Your Old Pill Bottles?
Do you have several old pill bottles piled up in your medicine cabinet? Do not just leave them there to be. It would help if you had a solution for the plastic creating clutter in the cabinet. So, what to do with your old pill bottles? The answer to this question is to dispose of them according to the laws.
Why Should We Dispose of the Bottles?
Old pill bottles lying around are potential lawsuits just waiting to happen. These bottles contain a patient’s identity and prescription, if you do not dispose of them correctly, they can fall into the wrong hands, and your identity could be stolen. Anyone could steal them and buy medicine under your name.
Another reason for disposing of pill bottles is to ensure that your personal information is not leaked. This could allow anyone to harm you.
HIPAA has provided clear instructions on the methods of disposal, and following them is strictly advised to ensure your safety.
Methods to Destroy Old Pill Bottles
There is only one method to destroy a pill bottle, which is pill bottle shredding. The bottles are made of shreddable plastic; instead of disposing of these bottles in a dumpster from where they could be stolen, you need to destroy them completely.
Why shred them? Shredding plastic is the first step in the process of recycling plastic. Also, if you only remove the label with your details, it won’t be enough because the bottle could be used for committing crimes like murder with fake IDs.
How to Shred an Old Pill Bottle?
There are two ways in which you can handle the procedure of shredding. Firstly, learn the laws of your state about how you should take care of the recycling of bottles. If there is no specific guidance, you can return these bottles to the clinic or the pharmacy you got them from and ask them to dispose of them. They are supposed to shred the bottles according to law.
If you do not want to take the longer route, directly connect with any pill bottle shredding service to get those bottles off your hands. Make sure these bottles are empty; otherwise, the medicine will be shredded with plastic. There is a different technique for disposing of medicines.
Services Offered By Shredding Companies
The best way to protect yourself from fraud is to take the bottles to a pill bottle shredding company. You can cargo the bottles to the company or ask them to come and take them. Some companies offer an online estimate of the services too.
The best thing about hiring an official service is that they are aware of HIPAA laws and conduct business in the right order. They also dispose of all other medical waste, such as syringes, bottles of drips, and plastic surgical equipment.
You must take steps responsibly and ensure that such plastics get to the shredder at any cost.
