of medications.

By JANUARY W. PAYNE The Washington Post

Before you flush your old medications down the toilet, read this: That's not a

method generally recommended as safe for people or the environment -according to new federalguidelines.

The guidelines, issued recently by the White HouseOfficeofNationalDrugControl Policy,advise consumers to "take unused, unneeded or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers and

throw them in the trash."

Even better, they advise, mix the medications with cat litter or used coffee grounds and put them in "impermeable, nondescript

containers, such as empty cans or sealable bags" before tossing them, to help prevent accidental ingestion by children or pets.

Water safety: Don't flush old medications down the toilet unless the drug's label specifically says to do so. "Drugs can kill helpful bacteria in septic systems and pass largely untouched through sewage treatment plants," according to Harvard Medical School. And, "once in landfills, drugs can trickle into groundwater."

Community programs: Check with pharmacies or health-care providers to see whether they can dispose of your medications for you.

Be careful, however, to protect sensitive information, advises Shirley Reitz, associate director of clinical pharmacy services at Group Health Cooperative, a Seattle-based health maintenance organization.

"I would encourage patients ... not to throw the (medication) container that has their name information on it into a waste

container" at a public facility. They need to cross out their name and other identifying information for their own privacy."