I used to work as a private investigator, and in the process, I developed a healthy paranoia regarding personally identifying information. Any mail that has my name and address on it goes in the shredder, period.
However, since I’ve begun taking prescription medications, I haven’t figured out how to deal with the bottles. Unfortunately, my pharmacy prints my name and address on the bottle labels, along with my phone number and, of course, the medication I’m taking. This is obviously information I’d like to keep private, but I haven’t figured out a good way to get the labels off of the bottles. I’m sure I’m not the only person out there who refuses to just toss their empty med bottles in the trash.
So what do you do to protect your information before disposing of the bottles? What do you recommend?
I don’t see the point. Anyone going through my trash already knows the address. From that, they can get the phone number, should they wish. And my name will, of course, be in the phone listing.
But, if you must, lighter fluid for wick-type lighters (aka Naptha) does a splendid job of removing adhesive labels from nearly anything.
You could just toss the bottles in a tub of water and soak the label off. It would even render the label unreadable. Or you could just scrape the label off with a razor blade.
My prescription containers have those labels that peel right off. I sometimes remove the labels and use the containers for something else. As Shera suggests, just submerge them in water for awhile and they should be fairly easy to remove.
I agree that I (personally) wouldn’t be worried about anyone finding my name/phone number/address. However, I can easily see where someone might not want others knowing what medications they are taking.
Seems to me most shredders (particularly for home use) wouldn’t have an opening big enough to stick a prescription bottle in, unless you stomped on the bottle and then stuck the pieces that had the label attached in the shredder.
I take various Rx meds on and off but am not concerned about random people finding out what they are (OHMYGOD! Didja know that Canadjun takes Metformin - what IS the world coming to?! I heard he even takes Bactrim! :eek: ). However, if I was, I’d just scrape off the drug name; as others have suggested I don’t see the need to completely destroy the entire label.
It is quite often possible to read through magic marker in good light (sometimes trivial, sometimes you have to experiment with the lighting and look closely, depending on the quality of the marker). I’ve done so many times (not with prescription labels, but I doubt that they would be unusual in that regard).
That’s why if you want to censor a page of information that contains both confidential and non-confidential information, you should use a magic marker, photocopy the result, and then distribute the photocopy.
I wrap private things (like Snoopy condoms) in my coffee grounds and filter. Whoever messes with that is someone I don’t worry about, they have other problems.
I dunno, I must be too innocent and naive–but why the paranoia? Who do you think is stalking you? What are you hiding?
Now, I’ve never thought much about what private investigators do–but don’t your clients ask you to spy on someone for a specific reason, while the suspect you are spying on probably knows that reason and is trying to hide it?
(I’m thinking of cheating spouses, fraudulent business partners, job applicants who know they are unqualified, etc)
Also, is it reasonable to toss a few medicine bottles into the trash compactor behind a supermarket? In high school I,… umm…, knew about certain teenagers who drank beer illegally, and that’s where they threw the bottles.
When I worked in retail pharmacy before HIPAA was in effect, we still always put old prescription bottles in a bin that was incinerated. Today with the laws on patient privacy as stringent as they are, I would be stunned if most if not all retail establishments did not have a policy on how to dispose of prescription bottle with names on them. I would go to the pharmacy where you get your prescription and ask them how they get rid of old bottles. They probably have a specific recyling/bound for the incinerator that they use and would be glad to throw yours on in there.
(FWIW, patients often bring in their empty bottle and say they want a refill and the pharmacy has to dispose of it)
You could try what I do when I want to re-use a cardboard box with my shipping information on it. I cover the personal info with a big piece of duct tape, then rip off. The top layer of the label will get stuck to the tape. Easy, fast, uses something already in (most) houses.
Depending on the meds., and how the trash is disposed of, any number of people might see the containers and be alerted that there is something worth stealing in the house. Drug addicts are always on the lookout for a source. Many prescription containers tell how many refills are left, on that label.
I’ll also suggest giving them to your pharmacy. At the pharmacy I work at we have special trash bags for personal information. We put plenty of peoples perscription bottles in there.
I appreciate all of the comments, including the critical ones. I may experiment with trying to soak off the labels, but I’m particularly fond of the idea of being able to dispose of the bottles at my own pharmacy. I will definitely make a point of asking them (they’re a major chain).
To answer the questions about my paranoia, it’s not because I have some shame about someone knowing what medicine I take. And as Q.E.D. already pointed out, if someone was specifically after me, they could find ways to get the information they needed. My goal with pretty much everything I shred is to prevent opportunists from gaining any advantage by having access to information about me that they couldn’t otherwise get easily.
I try to destroy anything that has both my name and address on it. I’m aware that the chances of me being the victim of identity theft or the target of a burglary based on random mail or prescription bottles having my name/address/telephone number on them are slim, but at the same time, it takes very little effort on my part to eliminate even that possibility by shredding anything I’d normally throw away that has identifying info on it.
I’m not running around suggesting that everyone immediately start shredding everything with their name on it; it’s just a habit that gives me some piece of mind.
Here’s what you should not do. Don’t pack up an old prescription bottle full of gunpowder and glue a long waterproof wick onto the top of it.
Even though it’s the perfect container for an adolescent punk kid to use for such a device, since the locking top of those bottles ensures a solid explosion that you just can’t get with a film container or any other items you’ve tried. Just don’t do it.
If, however, you must make a bomb and blow the mailbox of your annoying neighbor to tiny pieces of burning shrapnel then please remember to remove the label. That way the name and address of your parents will not still be on there, leading the police directly to your door.
Just don’t do it. Because I, ah, know a guy who did. Yeah. That’s it.
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