Safe Disposal of Left Over/Expired Pharmaceuticals

The only safe thing to do with left over and/or expired pharmaceutical drugs is to return them to the pharmacy from which you purchased them.  If they go down the drain or into the toilet bowl the drugs end up in our water supply.  Just imagine the cocktail if everyone disposed of only one left over prescription this way each year…

I called our local pharmacy recently to ask for a change in the wording currently found on their prescription labels i.e. “discard remainder”.  The pharmacist was quick to explain that people are counseled to return leftovers to the pharmacy and given pamphlets about the recycling program.  I told him that we have been using that pharmacy – albeit on a sporadic basis – for 10 years and have never been told about their recycling program.

I also suggested that the verbal communication may only go as far as the person receiving it and that by putting the instruction on the label, they may reach more people in the household.

The pharmacist agreed that the wording should be “return remainder to the pharmacy”  but said that making this change would be up to each individual pharmacist.  I found his response disturbing in that since there is really only one safe way to get rid of these remnants, there is really no room for ego in whether or not the instruction is made.

Perhaps if more people start asking for this change we will get better results.

If your pharmacy does not put clear instructions for returning remnants to them on their usage labels, please consider asking that they do so.

Garage Sale Follow Up

The rain clouds parted just long enough to allow for the garage sale. Or, more accurately, sales. I was a tad concerned about attendance because two neighbouring communities also chose May 7 for their sales.All I can say that is that I hope everyone did as well as we!

I live on a cul de sac (which is wonderful except for garage sale day) so shlepped my stuff over to my friend Pamela’s place. We sold more than half our bounty and the kids did bang up business with their lemonade and oreo cookie stand.

Interesting that people will bargain the daylights out of an item marked $1 but happily pay the asking price at the concession stand I’m really not complaining. Dickering is what makes the garage sale process fun.

Not so much fun were the shoppers who left their cars idling while they broused. Decided to post a “Thank you for turing off your engine” sign for next year’s sale. Might curtail my business but I’m willing to risk it.
We’ve now visited the donation depot with the sale remnants.
Time to start scouting for next year.

Garage Sale Fever

Tomorrow is our community garage sale. I look forward to this event every year.  I scour the house and before long the living room is home to this year’s pile of sale-worthy stuff.  Its never hard to find, mostly because I have been making mental notes about ‘what  goes’ since the day after last year’s sale.

My biggest dilemma is deciding on prices. This year I’ve enlisted the internet to find out what the item sells for new. Then I consider the item’s condition, how much dickering I am prepared to do and tape on a price.

My husband, the not so closeted packrat, finds this process amusing, as long as I stay away from his ‘collectibles’.  But I love it.  I don’t even mind getting up early because I know that the professional garage salers – and most accomplished dickerers – will commence their bargain hunting well before the official 8:00 a.m. start time.

I’m not sure what gives me the bigger charge, the process or the outcome.  My ‘real’ job as an agent is sales-oriented so I’m definitely addicted to bargaining and closing the transaction. But it’s also so satisfying to see someone walk back down the driveway with that new treasure in hand.

The fact that this entire process is a fantastic way to recycle is a big bonus.

Better get back to it.  We’re setting up this afternoon!