Storage and shelf life

What should I bear in mind when disposing of medicines?

There are a few rules for throwing away medication.

Do not flush your medication down the toilet or drain. The medication will then dissolve in the water and pollute the environment.

You can simply throw most medicines in the residual waste. To do this, leave the medication in the packaging and throw it in the rubbish bin.

It is a good idea to wrap the medication in a bag and hide it in the rubbish as best you can. Otherwise, children may mistake the medication for sweets.

Which medicines you are not allowed to dispose of in the rubbish is regulated differently in each region of Germany.
If you are unsure whether you can simply throw away a medicine, ask at the pharmacy. The staff will be able to help you.

You can take medicines that you are not allowed to throw away to a recycling centre. There are also pharmacies that will dispose of old medication for you. Not all pharmacies do this.

It is best to think about how much medication you will need when you buy it. If you only need a small amount, buy a small package. Then you won’t have to throw so much away.

What should I bear in mind when storing medication?

You must store all medicines at home in such a way that children cannot reach them. This is important for the safety of the children.

It is best if you have a cupboard for the medication. You should be able to lock the cupboard. It should also stand or hang in such a way that the children cannot reach it.

If your children can easily reach the medication, they may mistake it for sweets. They may then swallow some.

If a child accidentally swallows a medicine, call your paediatrician immediately. If your child is unwell, call the emergency number 1 1 2. You can also call the poison control centre. There are various telephone numbers in Germany for this purpose.

This is important because medicines often have a different effect on children than on adults. This can be very dangerous for the child. Tell your doctor which medication the child has swallowed.

How do you recognise the shelf life of medicines?

The shelf life of medicines is printed on the packaging. You can use the medication up to the date written on it.

There is often an additional rule for liquid medicines. Once a liquid medicine has been opened, you can only use it for a certain period of time.

The package leaflet will tell you how long you can use the medicine after opening it. This is usually a few months.
It is therefore possible that you should no longer use a liquid medication before the expiry date.

Sometimes a medicine changes over time. It may then look different, for example it may have a different colour. Or become cracked.

So if your medicine changes in appearance or odour, you should no longer use it. Then throw it away.