Page 12 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 19, 2019 SAVVY SENIOR | FROM PAGE 8 Mail Them Costco, Rite Aid and CVS pharmacies sell postage-paid envelopes for customers to mail any prescription, including opioids and over-thecounter medications, to a disposal facility. Throw Them Out If mailing them in or getting to one of the drop-off sites is not an option, you can dispose of them yourself, but do so carefully. The Food and Drug Administration recommends taking the medications out of their original bottles and putting them in a sealable plastic bag with an undesirable substance like coffee grounds, dirt or kitty litter. Then seal the plastic bag and throw it in the trash. This will make the medication less appealing to children, pets or other people who may fi sh through your trash. But don’t do this with dangerous drugs, such as opioids, which can be abused. For these, the FDA says fl ushing them down the toilet is OK. But trace amounts of drugs can end up in the water supply so this should be done only as a last resort. To see the FDA list of medications that should be fl ushed when they are no longer needed, go to FDA.gov and type “fl ush list” into the search box. Or, another option is to purchase some medication disposal bags like the Medsaway Medication Disposal System. These are carbon pouches that are designed to neutralize all medication including narcotics, liquid medication, transdermal patches and controlled substances so you can just add water, and toss them in the trash. You can fi nd medication disposal bags at some local pharmacies or online at Amazon.com for around $15. You’ll also want to make sure to scratch out all your mom’s personal information on the empty medicine bottles or other packaging before throwing it away to protect her identity and privacy. If you have other questions about proper drug disposal, talk to your pharmacist. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. JIM’S HOME IMPROVEMENT — General Contractor — •Kitchens & Baths • Carpentry • Painting (Int. & Ext.) • Cleanouts • Windows • Doors • Decks • Additions • All Reasonable MASS. BUILDER’S LICENSE NO RESTRICTIONS C.S. 065388 NO JOB TOO BIG, NO JOB TOO SMALL Call Jim @ 781-910-3649 Like us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/Advocate.news.ma Award-Winning Landscaping Servicing the North Shore for over 38 Years NOW BOOKING NEW CUSTOMERS! DON’T WAIT! Call 781-321-2074 Pavers * Walkways * Patios * Driveways * Pool Decks Planting * Perennials * Shrubs * Trees New Lawns * Sod * Hydroseed Flowers/Annuals/Mums * Conventional Seeding * Synthetic Complete Maintenance * Cleanups (Spring & Fall) * Lawn Cutting, Edging & Weeding * Lawn Fertilizer Programs * Trim & Prune Shrubs * Mulching, Thatching Interlock Block * Fire Pits * Sitting Walls * Pillers Landscape Lighting * Design * Install * Repair * Night Illumination
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