Description
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) hosts National Prescription Drug Take Back Day twice a year to help communities across the country safely dispose of their unused medications. At a time when individuals and families are seeking ways to properly dispose of their unused opioids, these two dates present a unique opportunity to take action. The DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.
Fight Against Opioid Misuse
Don't Share, Limit Access, and Safely Dispose
Many people who misuse prescription drugs get them from family, friends, and acquaintances. You can make a difference by keeping track of the medicine you have by rethinking where and how you keep your medications in your home, and by safely disposing of any unused medications.
Check DEA's official Take Back Day website for more information and to find year-round collection sites near you.
Who
Join the effort by safely disposing of your unused medicines. Too often, home medicine cabinets play a role in potential addiction. By safely disposing of unused prescription opioids, we can all help prevent a child, loved one, or friend from misusing medicines that were not prescribed to them.
And, for the first time, DEA will also accept vaping devices and cartridges at any of its drop-off locations during Take Back Day. The DEA’s Take Back Day events provide an opportunity for Americans to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.
Flushing drugs down the toilet, or throwing out prescriptions in the trash, are discouraged because they could harm the environment.
Cost
FREEHow
Click to Locate a Collection Site Near You
DEA Allows the Return of Unused Medications to Pharmacies
DEA made regulations that allow more options for the safe disposal of unused, unwanted, and expired prescription drugs. These options include the return of unused narcotic painkillers and other medications to approved pharmacies or the use of mail-back programs. These new regulations will expand options to safely and responsibly get rid of unused or unwanted medications. Law enforcement offices are allowed to continue voluntarily to have take-back events and administer mail-back programs. The regulations took effect on October 9, 2014.
