National Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet Day falls on the third Friday of April, and a primary care physician offers advice on how to organize your medications. Learn which items to keep at eye level, which to store out of reach or locked away, and what to do with expired or leftover drugs.
The third Friday of every April, timed right around spring cleaning, is National Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet Day. And if the shelves lurking behind your bathroom mirror look like a disaster zone, you're not alone.
Luckily, Dr. Kavita Patel, a primary care physician, joined the TODAY show on April 17 to share just what bottles and capsules should stay, what should go, and how to reorganize what you keep so that it's as useful as possible.“Start by taking everything out so you can actually see what you have. Most cabinets can become very cluttered, and finding the right meds starts to become more difficult," Patel says.The top shelf is for"anything you want out of reach, like prescriptions or medications that can make you drowsy. Basically, if it could be risky in the wrong hands, keep it up high and out of sight," Patel explains."When it comes to the narcotics, it’s best to have those locked away in a drawer." should be for everyday meds, like those for colds and allergies, and pain relievers."That’s your everyday go-to spot stuff you reach for regularly. Keeping them at eye level just makes life easier," Patel adds. is for wound care because you should always have quick access to bandages, antibiotic ointment and burn cream."You’d be surprised how many people don’t have burn cream when kitchen burns are some of the most common injuries in the home," Patel emphasizes. She also suggests keeping a list of emergency contacts on display inside the medicine cabinet with numbers like the pediatrician, poison control and parents' cells for babysitters. And she advises making sure you're stocked up on flu and COVID tests — and that they're not expired.Expired medications, especially liquids that have been sitting around for a while. Leftover antibiotics, as using them not as prescribed can create"a bigger issue down the line," Patel says.To dispose of them, the best option is a drug take-back program, usually found at pharmacies or other community sites. Learn more at Toothbrushes: Get a new one every three months.Makeup brushes and sponges: Replace or clean anything that touches your face often. Sunscreen: Replace every year, but if you haven't used it up in a year, you're probably not using it enough, Patel says.Woman, 68, Goes Viral for Sharing Cancer Diagnosis. Her Secret Treatment Weapon? Her Bestie of 50 Years
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