Q: What Do I Do With Expired Medications? - Central Coast News KION/KCBA

Q: What Do I Do With Expired Medications?

A: Crystal in Salinas asked us, "I was wondering if there is a place to take expired medication and empty pill bottles?"

Crystal here's the answer.

I spoke to the Monterey County Health Department's environmental health division.

An environmental health expert said if it's an empty bottle, you can place it in the recycling container as long as your medical information is taken off of it. If it's still full of pills, you have several options.

Some pharmacies accept used medications or the clinic where you got it. Periodically, the Centers for Disease Control will sponsor a local medication take back program, but it's costly to do so and done maybe once a year. Pharmacies and clinics can not accept controlled substances or narcotic-like meds.