Vicodin

Day 8: Vicodin and Other Prescription Medications

Getting rid of old prescription medications is not as easy as you might think. You can't flush them because they might contaminate the rivers and streams. (And how eager does that make you to take your medicine, by the way?) You can't turn them in at the doctor's office; they won't take them. You're not supposed to throw them in the trash. You can't give them to your buddies or sell them on the street corner; it's illegal. You can't even turn them in at CVS or Walgreen's unless they are a designated disposal pharmacy. I know, I tried.

I didn't even recognize the veterinary prescription for Metacam. I was relieved when my web search revealed that it is for canine joint pain. Our 100-pound lab has been dead for over four years, which doesn't speak well for the cleanliness of my medicine cabinet, but at least I haven't been neglecting my current dog.

The Vicodin has been in a drawer in my bedside table for almost three years, ever since I had a tumor removed from my sinus cavity. Not that the surgery didn't hurt, but I'm afraid of that stuff. It's a relief not to have it in the drawer any more. It felt like a disaster waiting to happen. I believe the other bottle is prescription Aleve, but I'm afraid to let anyone take it because I'm not completely sure what it is. These prescriptions don't come with dosage information like over-the-counter meds.

The closest disposal pharmacy is in St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ypsilanti. Heading there after work.

[Later] Vicodin is even harder to get rid of than I thought. You have to take it to a police station, or crush is up in coffee grounds and throw it away. I will soon have very relaxed hive beetles in the compost heap.