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Prescription Drug Disposal
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What can you do to prevent prescription drug misuse?
- Count and track your medications.
- Dispose of unused or expired medication properly.
- Talk to your kids about the dangers of prescription and over-the-counter drugs when they are not used as prescribed.
- Store your medication in a safe place, where children, teens and visitors to your home do not have easy access to it.
National Take Back Day
Prescription Drug Take Back Day events give the public an opportunity to prevent medicine misuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that are stored in home cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse. Rates of prescription drug misuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of misused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are advised that disposing of unused medicine by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash pose potential safety and health hazards.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is held twice per year; once in October and once in April. When dates become available, you can find them on our Upcoming Events page.
Permanent Drop Off Locations
Unable to join on National Take Back Day? Permanent drug drop boxes provide a safe and effective way to dispose of prescription drugs that are no longer needed for their intended purpose. The drugs deposited in the drop box are safely and legally incinerated.