Take Back Day Is October 24: How to Safely Get Rid of Unused Medications

Most homes have a few bottles in the back of a cabinet: pain pills left over from a dental procedure, sleep medication from a rough stretch, an old prescription for someone who no longer needs it. They seem harmless sitting there. But unused medications, especially opioids, are one of the easiest ways for someone to start misusing a drug they were never prescribed.

Next Saturday is a simple chance to clear them out.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day: Saturday, October 24

According to the DEA’s announcement, the 31st National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, October 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 4,400 collection sites will be set up across the country, run with more than 4,300 law enforcement partners.

The DEA says Take Back Day has helped Americans remove more than twenty million pounds of unneeded medications from their homes since 2010.

You can find a site near you with the DEA’s collection site locator.

What you can drop off, and what you can’t

The DEA will collect:

• Tablets, capsules, patches and other forms of prescription medication.
• Liquid medications, if they are securely sealed in their original containers.

It will not collect syringes, sharps or illicit drugs.

Why it matters

The DEA puts it plainly: removing unneeded medications from the home reduces the risk of misuse and of accidental ingestion. Prescription opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine and morphine are among the most frequently misused prescription pain medications, according to SAMHSA, as cited in the DEA’s release.

A medicine cabinet is often where misuse starts. A teenager curious about a pill, a visitor going through a bathroom drawer or a family member quietly running low on their own prescription all have easy access to whatever is left over. If you talked with your teen about drugs during Red Ribbon Week, clearing out old prescriptions is a practical follow-through.

Disposal also protects children and pets from swallowing something by accident, and it keeps expired medicine from being taken by mistake.

Can’t make it on the 24th?

Take Back Day happens twice a year, but you do not have to wait for it. The DEA says more than 15,300 pharmacies, hospitals and businesses offer safe medication disposal year-round, and many police departments have permanent drop boxes.

The FDA’s disposal guidance lists the options in order:

1. A drug take-back location, such as a pharmacy kiosk or a police department drop box.
2. A prepaid drug mail-back envelope. These are sold at retail pharmacies and online, and some pharmacies give them out for free. Fill it, seal it and mail it.
3. Flushing, but only for medicines on the FDA’s flush list. Some medicines are dangerous enough to others that the label says to flush them when a take-back option isn’t available. Fentanyl patches are one example: the FDA notes that a lot of medicine remains in a patch even after it has been used. Do not flush a medicine unless it is on the list.
4. Your household trash, for almost everything else.

For the trash, the FDA’s steps are:

• Take the medicine out of its original container.
• Mix it with something unappealing, such as used coffee grounds, dirt or cat litter.
• Seal the mixture in a zip bag, empty can or other closed container.
• Throw the container in the trash.
• Scratch out your personal information on the empty bottle or packaging before throwing it away.

If you are not sure how to dispose of a specific medicine, your pharmacist can tell you.

If the leftover pills are yours, and you have been taking them

Sometimes cleaning out the cabinet brings up a harder question. If you notice you have been taking more than prescribed, running out early or keeping old prescriptions “just in case”, it may be time to look more closely. Our guide to prescription use versus misuse walks through the signs, and our article on how to talk to your doctor about drinking or drug use can help you start that conversation.

Do not stop an opioid or sedative suddenly on your own after long-term use. Withdrawal can be uncomfortable or even dangerous, and your doctor can help you taper safely. If you need medical support to stop, drug and alcohol detox provides 24-hour care. You can also take Nova’s confidential opioid self-assessment as a starting point.

When you are ready to talk

If you or someone in your family is struggling with prescription drugs, Nova’s admissions team answers 24 hours a day. The first conversation is free and confidential, and you can verify your insurance online in a few minutes.

Common Questions