1. Medications

Overhauling Your Medicine Cabinet

Inventory your medicine cabinet at least one a year.

  1. •Take everything out of the medicine cabinet.

  2. •Check expiration dates. Throw out all outdated medicines. If you’re not sure about a certain item, call your pharmacist. Ask what the shelf life is.

  3. •Discard old tubes of cream that are hardened or cracked. Throw out any liquid medicines that look cloudy or filmy.

  4. •If medications are not in original containers and clearly labeled, throw them away. Some medicines come in tinted glass, for example, because exposure to light may cause them to deteriorate.

  5. •Every medication is a potential poison. If there are children in the house, keep all medicines and vitamins locked in a high cabinet, well out of their reach.

Activated charcoal and syrup of ipecac are not advised for home use for swallowed poisons. Call the Poison Control Center at 800.222.1222 for advice.