Many of us have a cabinet full of medications, but that may not always be the best place to store them.

To store medications properly, some things to avoid are extreme cold, heat and sunlight. 

Experts say to avoid storing them in your bathroom or your car. Extreme heat and moisture can cause medicines to lose their effectiveness before they expire.

"Keep in mind that our kitchen cabinets are everywhere, so don't put it in a cabinet above the sink because you wash your dishes and that moisture can get into the bottles. And don't put it above the stove because a lot of that smoke and heat will carry up and then also ruin the quality of your drugs," South Texas Health System Emergency Department's Pharmacy Supervisor Dr. Samantha Perales said.

Perales says taking expired medication gives infections a chance to build resistance. It's better to dispose of expired pills at a drug take-back location, like a pharmacy, police station or fire department.

She also recommends disposing of needles in an empty milk jug and once it's full, take it to the nearest drug take-back location.