National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

By: Alexandra de Leon Date: October 26th, 2022

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day will be taking place Saturday, October 29, 2022. Prescription Drug Take Back Day encourages the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.

How to Safely Dispose of Expired or Unwanted Medicine

Disposal Kiosk Sites
Many pharmacies and law enforcement agencies have disposal kiosks where you can get rid of unwanted, unused, or expired over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medicines. To find a kiosk site near you, check out this locator on MyOldMeds.com.

In-Home Disposal
If there is not a kiosk located near you, follow these simple steps to dispose of OTC and most prescription medicines in your household trash:

• Mix: Remove the medicines from their original containers* and mix them with something undesirable, such as used coffee grounds, dirt, or cat litter.
  • ** Be sure to scratch out all your personal information on the empty medicine packaging or bottle to protect your identity and privacy before throwing it away.
• Seal: Put the mixture in something you can close, like a sealed plastic bag.
• Throw: Throw the container in the trash.

Should My Medicine Be Flushed?
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has a flush list for specific medicines that should be flushed down the toilet if a disposal kiosk is not available. View the list on FDA’s website.

Source: Safe Kids Worldwide

Safe Medicine Disposal Flyer (ENGLISH)

Safe Medicine Disposal Flyer (SPANISH)