DEAR ABBY: Regarding Allen Bouchard's letter on the importance of discarding outdated medications, it is important to realize that while most medications, such as nitroglycerin, lose potency with age, some actually can become toxic.
Tetracycline is an old antibiotic, but it is still commonly used for acne, respiratory infections and the like. Outdated tetracycline can cause permanent kidney damage.
So, please check the dates, discard old medications, and keep all medications out of the reach of children. -- PATRICK A. MAUER, M.D., LOS ANGELES
DEAR DR. MAUER: Thank you for taking time from your busy day to alert my readers that some outdated prescriptions can become toxic. I would warn readers who are discarding old medications to carefully dispose of them so they're out of the reach of children and pets.