Give Your Medicine Cabinet a Checkup

Annual checkups are essential for staying healthy and preventing problems. If you see your primary care provider for an annual checkup, congratulations! Did you know that your medicine cabinet needs an annual checkup too?

Over time, leftover prescription drugs tend to accumulate in medicine cabinets. They are no longer needed but could be dangerous if taken accidentally. They could also be potential targets for drug diversion. Bottles of expired over-the-counter drugs, such as pain relievers and allergy medications, can also pile up and add to the clutter.

Giving your medicine cabinet an annual checkup allows you to weed out expired and outdated medications. It’s an excellent opportunity to better organize your cabinet, making it easier to find medications when you need them. We’ll tell you how to perform a medicine cabinet annual checkup and safely dispose of unwanted drugs.

What’s a Medicine Cabinet?

Let’s begin by acknowledging that the term “medicine cabinet” is somewhat outdated. A traditional medicine cabinet — a set of shelves hidden behind a bathroom mirror — used to be a standard home fixture. But traditional medicine cabinets may not exist in modern, stylish bathrooms. Instead, medicines are often stored in bathroom spaces like vanity drawers, closets, or open shelves.

Medicines may also be kept in places other than the bathroom, such as bedroom nightstands or kitchen cabinets. So, the first thing to do is to think of all the places in your home where medicines are stashed. If you don’t have a central “medicine cabinet,” you may need to visit multiple rooms to complete the annual checkup.

What to Do

Begin the annual checkup of your medicine cabinet (or the place you store medicines) by having a clear space nearby, such as a countertop or table. Empty the entire contents of your medicine cabinet and place them on the clear space. While your medicine cabinet is empty, it’s a good idea to thoroughly clean it.

Go through all the medicines and look at each expiration date, which is usually printed on the bottle or package label. Set aside any medicines that have already reached their expiration date. If an over-the-counter medicine will soon expire and you intend to use that medication in the future, make a note to buy a fresh replacement.

Also review the prescription medications and set aside any that you are no longer taking. Group those together for safe disposal later (see below).

With all the old medications now separated out, review the remaining contents and organize them into categories. For example, group together:

• Prescription medications you take frequently
• Over-the-counter pain relievers
• Allergy medications
• Cold and flu symptom relievers
• Antacids and digestive aids
• Creams and ointments

This is also a great time to organize non-medication contents, such as bandages and other first-aid supplies.

Once you have everything organized, transfer each group back to your medicine cabinet or storage space. Put prescription medications you take often in the spot that is easiest to reach. Then place other frequently used groups of medications in locations that are easily accessible. Seldom used groups can go in places that are harder to reach, such as the medicine cabinet’s top shelf.

Disposing of Medications

Health care providers and public safety agencies have recognized the risks of storing old medications in homes and have provided multiple ways to dispose of them safely.

• The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency sponsors a National Prescription Drug Take Back Day twice a year, on the last Saturdays of April and October. The next one is scheduled for Oct. 25, 2025. Click here to locate a collection site near you.
• Vermont has more than 80 sites where you can drop off unused medications at a free kiosk. Click here to find a kiosk near you.
• Free mail-back envelopes are available through the Vermont Department of Health. The department also offers a free lock bag to secure medications to keep them away from kids and pets. For more information and to order, visit the department’s prescription drug disposal page.

Don’t Flush Old Medications

With so many free disposal options available, it’s easy to safely get rid of old medications. By using a kiosk or mail-back envelope, you can even dispose of over-the-counter drugs and medicated ointments and lotions.

One thing you should not do is flush medications down the toilet. Community wastewater treatment plants and private systems cannot remove drugs from the water, which means flushed pharmaceuticals will be released into the environment and could become harmful to wildlife. They can also potentially contaminate drinking water sources.

Some prescription drugs could threaten human health if they are disposed of improperly. For example, flushing antibiotics down the toilet can contribute to the growing problem of bacteria becoming resistant to antibiotics.

Help protect your family and your community by going through your medicine cabinet or other drug storage spaces at least once a year to remove old medications and dispose of them safely.