The bathroom medicine cabinet seems a handy place to store medications. But this ill-named box is a bad place for any meds, because moisture can dampen a drug’s effectiveness.
To keep pills potent, store them in a cool, dry place like a drawer or cupboard, unless labeled otherwise. Although research has shown that properly stored drugs may remain effective long after the expiration date, it’s best to toss older ones if you have concerns.
Also discard discolored or broken pills, or bottles with illegible labels. It’s usually safe to dump old drugs in the garbage, but mixing them with something that tastes awful, like coffee grounds, helps prevent possible retrieval by animals or even people searching the trash. It’s also smart to ink out label data to protect your privacy.
So keep pills in their place, and save the medicine cabinet for shaving cream.