National Prescription Drug Take Back Day - Saturday, October 29

Coordinated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and taking place each year on the last Saturdays of April and October, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day events aim to rid homes of unused or expired medications through safe, responsible disposal while raising awareness about the importance of doing so.

Year-round drug-disposal stations

If you have expired or unwanted medications in your home that you’d like to be disposed, you don’t have to wait until National Drug Take Back Day. It’s now common for pharmacies of all sizes, including large national chains and smaller, locally owned businesses, to offer year-round drug-disposal stations for expired and unwanted prescriptions and over-the-counter medications. When you pick up your next prescription, ask your pharmacy if it has a drug-disposal station. Or, you can search online for a DEA-authorized drug-disposal station near you.

Don’t flush them!

If drug-disposal stations don’t exist in your area, do not flush your unwanted medications straight down the toilet or sink. Municipal water treatment does not remove pharmaceuticals from wastewater. Instead, dispose of your medications safely by mixing them with something undesirable, like used coffee grounds or cat litter, then seal them in a container before placing them in the trash. This disposal method helps protect natural waterways and keeps medications from being misused by someone who might find them.

For more information about the disposal of pharmaceuticals, visit: Where and How to Dispose of Unused Medicines | FDA.