National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Did you know that prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved to be abused or illegally sold, or that drugs flushed down toilets contaminate the water supply? The drug overdose epidemic in the United States is considered a public health, public safety and national security threat. We can help prevent and reduce medication misuse and opioid addiction by properly disposing of any unneeded medications at home. Too often, unused prescription drugs find their way into the wrong hands, creating a dangerous and often tragic situation.
The Drug Enforcement Administration hosts National Prescription Take Back Day during the last Saturday of the months of April and October. DEA sponsors collection sites throughout the country where medications can be dropped off for proper disposal. CBP encourages all employees and family members to bring any expired, unused or unwanted medications to designated collection sites for proper disposal.
Next Take Back Day: Saturday, October 28, 2023
To prepare for Take Back Day:
- Locate all medications in your household and ensure that they are securely stored (all lids are tightly on bottles, away from the reach of children and pets, etc.);
- Inventory the medications and identify which are unwanted and/or have expired dates;
- Label each of those identified medications with clear signage that indicates disposal; and
- Take them to a collection site between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Missed Take Back Day? Use the collection site locator to locate the closest authorized collector for year-round disposal.
Source: US Customs and Border Protection