HOUSTON – Houston-area and U.S. communities will partner with law enforcement agencies and other collection sites to host the biannual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.
The event will take place this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in pharmacies across the Houston-area.
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The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration assists in the prevention of prescription drug abuse and overdose by providing citizens with a safe location to dispose of their unused, unwanted or expired prescription medication and other controlled substances, including opioids.
According to the DEA website, multiple Houston-area law enforcement agencies and other DEA authorized collection sites will participate in the event to help bring awareness to a public health and safety issue by providing several safe, no-questions asked drop-off locations for anyone who wants to rid their home of idle prescription drugs or controlled substances. This event helps to address the fatal dangers of idle unused or expired pharmaceutical substances that unfortunately sometimes get into the wrong hands.
Citizens can find collection sites at any police department, pharmacy, hospital, retail or any participating DEA-authorized facility.
According to the DEA, prescriptions collected will include solid dosage forms, capsules, patches and all tablets. Vaping devices and cartridges will also be collected, however, batteries must be removed before deposition.
Syringes, liquids, IV solutions and illegal drugs will not be accepted at the collection sites, and personal information labels from medication containers must be removed.
The April 2021 National Prescription Drug Take Back Day collected a total of 420 tons of medication. Last year on October 24, nearly 493 tons of idle medication was turned in to the DEA. Since its inception in 2010, the NTBI has collected 14,524,391 pounds of medication.
To find out more about the event, you can visit their website or call 800-882-9539.
To find the closest participating NTBI site or year-round controlled substance disposal locations for your unused or expired medications visit the following:
- Find your nearest drug disposal unit participating in this Saturday’s event here.
- Local permanent controlled substance disposal units here.
If you are unable to make it to a drug disposal location, this website will show you how to dispose of certain drugs at home. For assistance with substance abuse, click here.