So you still have some medications left but your doctor has said to stop taking them? Do you have medicine that has expired? How do you get rid of them safely for other people and the environment?

Ask your pharmacist for advice. Your pharmacist will look the medication and give you an option:

• Most important, don't let anyone else use them.

• Most prescriptions can be thrown out in your household trash. Crush liquid capsules and solids, such as pills and tablets. Then mix into something, like kitty litter or coffee grounds, that will make them less tempting for children or animals.

• A few medicines should be flushed. As of March 2009, the Food and Drug Administration said the following drugs should be flushed (see the FDA web site for the most up-to-date information.) Your pharmacist can tell you if any have been added to the list.

  • Actiq (fentanyl citrate)

  • Daytrana Transdermal Patch (methylphenidate)

  • Duragesic Transdermal System (fentanyl)

  • OxyContin Tablets (oxycodone)

  • Avinza Capsules (morphine sulfate)

  • Baraclude Tablets (entecavir)

  • Reyataz Capsules (atazanavir sulfate)

  • Tequin Tablets (gatifloxacin)

  • Zerit for Oral Solution (stavudine)

  • Meperidine HCl Tablets

  • Percocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen)

  • Xyrem (sodium oxybate)

  • Fentora (fentanyl buccal tablet)

The Oregon Legislature is thinking about setting up central locations for people to dispose their unused medications safely (see the story originally published in The Oregonian). If this program gets going, we'll let you know at www.careoregon.org and in a future issue of CareLink.