Expired medicines at home? UAE health authorities issue warning

Abu Dhabi: The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH) has warned residents against storing unused or expired medications at home, saying the practice poses serious health and safety risks, Al Khaleej newspaper reported.

The department noted that medicines kept beyond their expiry date or for prolonged periods may lose effectiveness and become unsafe for use. Their presence at home also raises the risk of accidental ingestion or misuse by children and adults.

The DoH said the accumulation of unused or expired drugs is an emerging public health concern, potentially leading to poisoning incidents, overdose cases, and inappropriate medication use.

It stressed the importance of educating the public on proper disposal methods as a key measure to ensure community safety and protect the environment.

Improper disposal practices — such as pouring medicines down sinks or toilets — were described as especially hazardous. The department explained that sewage systems are not designed to filter out pharmaceutical chemicals, which can seep into groundwater and harm both public health and the environment.

The DoH said safe medication disposal is a shared social responsibility. Some hospitals, it added, run take-back programmes to help patients return unused or expired medicines for proper disposal. Where such services are unavailable, residents are advised to follow home safety guidelines to reduce the risk of poisoning or contamination.

Residents were urged to follow disposal instructions provided with each medicine and avoid flushing or draining them. The DoH recommended removing medicines from their original packaging, mixing them with undesirable substances such as used coffee grounds, and sealing them in a plastic bag or container before discarding. For liquid medicines, it advised absorbing them with paper towels before disposal.

The department also reminded residents to remove personal information from labels to protect privacy and warned against sharing prescription drugs, as medications prescribed for one person may be harmful to another.

To reduce medicine waste, the DoH urged consumers to buy only what they need, avoid using expired drugs, decline free samples they do not intend to use, and regularly check home medicine cabinets to prevent overstocking.