Don't just flush those leftover meds

Unused medications create a dilemma — what to do with the things? They obviously shouldn't be left lying around accessible to bored teenagers or curious kids. Nor should they be flushed; medication traces are already showing up in the water supply. But just dumped in the trash? Maybe they should be taken back to a pharmacy.

The National Community Pharmacists Association, which represents independent community pharmacists, and Sharps Compliance, a medical waste management company, is offering a disposal method that may provide more peace of mind than the traditional "toss 'em in the rubbish bin and hope for the best" approach.

Go to www.disposemymeds.org for a list of pharmacies that will dispose of those meds for you. There are 800 participating pharmacies in 40 states, but it's a big country. Even in large metro areas, you might have to search beyond a 5-mile radius to find one.

For people who can't find a pharmacy or would have to travel too far, the site offers a link to the Office of National Drug Control Policy's guidelines on medication disposal.

That, in a way, seems to bring consumers back to where many started — at a bit of a loss. Among the tips are to take unused drugs to a collection program, of which there seem to be precious few.

But the guidelines do include useful advice as well — such as, if you must trash the pills, mix them with kitty litter first.