Medications are an important part of many health maintenance programs. They can manage symptoms, cure disease, control pain, and/or prevent serious complications related to chronic illness. Properly disposing of prescription and nonprescription drugs is essential in ensuring the safety of our environment and the people around us. In fact, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the majority of the abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, often from a home medicine cabinet.
April 28 is national Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which gives people a safe way to dispose unwanted, unused, and expired prescriptions at collection sites around the state from 10 AM to 2 PM, with some facilities open for 24 hours. It’s free and confidential–just peel off the prescription information that has the holder’s and doctor’s name, and either bring the pills still in the bottle or in a plastic bag to discard. Please note, these sites are for prescription pills only – liquids and syringes will not be accepted.
Learn more about National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, and to find a local collection site.