Americans can safely dispose of unused or expired prescription medicines today, Saturday, October 24, during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Collection sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at more than 4,400 locations nationwide, run with more than 4,300 law enforcement partners, and disposal is free and anonymous.
The program, run twice a year by the Drug Enforcement Administration, addresses a risk that sits in many homes: medicines left in cabinets after treatment ends. Those medicines can be diverted, misused, or taken accidentally, and health officials say removing them from the home is one of the simplest steps a household can take to reduce harm. Since the program began in 2010, more than 20 million pounds of unneeded medicines have been removed from homes.
What to bring, and what to leave out
Sites accept tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs, and liquid medicines such as cough syrup if securely sealed in the original container. Vaping devices and e-cigarettes are also collected where batteries have been removed. Sites do not accept syringes, sharps, or illicit drugs. Anyone unsure about a specific item can check the site finder at DEATakeBack.com, which lists nearby collection points.
The scale of the April collection shows why the day matters. In that round, 4,306 law enforcement agencies took part across 4,417 sites, collecting 642,410 pounds of expired, unused, or unwanted drugs in four hours. In Massachusetts alone, 160 agencies collected 23,831 pounds. Iowa’s April round collected more than 6,871 pounds, taking the state’s total across the program past 118 tons.
A small step with a clear purpose
DEA Administrator Terry Cole said participants are preventing potentially addictive medicines from falling into the wrong hands, calling it a small step that can save lives. AARP reported that this is the 31st National Prescription Drug Take Back Day since the program began, and that older adults, who often take multiple medicines, are among those most likely to have unused drugs at home.
Beyond today, more than 15,300 pharmacies, hospitals, and businesses offer year round disposal, and many police departments maintain permanent drop boxes. Today is the easiest version of that habit: a four hour window, no questions asked, and a medicine cabinet that is safer by the afternoon than it was in the morning.
