National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Every April and October, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day provides a safe way to dispose of prescription medications that are unused or expired. The next nationwide opportunity occurs on April 26, 2025. According to getsmartaboutdrugs.org, 629,953 pounds (314 tons) of medication was collected during the October 2024 Take Back Day. Since 2010, the DEA has collected 19.2 million pounds (9600 tons) of medication! This not only keeps unused prescriptions out of the wrong hands—such as children and people who intentionally misuse medication—but it also prevents environmental effects from improper disposal.

According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, unwanted prescription medications that are thrown in the trash can be retrieved leading to dangerous or tragic situations. Ingestion of medications by children or pets can lead to an accidental overdose if they are able to access the trash. The Poison Control numbers are 1-800-222-1222 for people and 1-888-426-4435 for pets if this occurs. Also, medications that are intentionally retrieved from the trash can be used for abuse or illegal sale. This can lead to a worsening of the opioid epidemic.

Stericycle describes how "conventional wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove pharmaceuticals", so the medications will persist in our water sources and affect health and ecosystems. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reports multiple consequences of prescriptions being flushed down the toilet, sent to the landfills, or illegally dumped. These include hormone medications causing "feminisation of fish and amphibians", psychiatric drugs creating behavior changes in fish, and the development of antibiotic resistance.

There are several safe ways to dispose of prescription medication. The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) provides a Collection Site Locator for Take Back Day. Recover Together provides year-round collection sites, such as pharmacies, hospitals, and police stations. The U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) also states that medications can be mailed in for disposal. The special envelopes needed for this are available at retail pharmacies and online.

We can protect our health and environment from the devastating consequences of improper medication disposal. Our health, planet, and future generations are depending on us.