As I mentioned yesterday in a post about bathroom medicine cabinets, the heat and humidity from your shower -- and the effect that has on the potency of medicine -- makes the bathroom one of the worst places to keep prescriptions or over-the-counter drugs.

Here are a few more medication-related tips, some of which may come as a bit of a surprise to you:

• Throw away any pills that have changed color, texture, or smell, as well as capsules or tablets that stick together or are cracked or chipped.
• Take the cotton plug out of an opened bottle once it's opened. The cotton can suck moisture in.
• Be sure to get rid of and replace expired medication. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) suggests crushing meds and dissolving them as completely as possible in a plastic container or bag filled with water. To further breakdown the meds, add coffee grounds, cat litter, and saw dust to the water, and then seal and throw the bag away (away as in into the garbage, not flushed down your toilet).