29th Annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, SATURDAY, Oct. 25th

In observance of National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, families are encouraged to take this opportunity to clean out their bathroom closets, medicine cabinets, drawers, and pocketbooks for expired and no longer taken medications – and safely return them at one of many drop off locations throughout the US – including Rhode Island.

Each year, the US DEA runs this program twice a year – in April and in October. This year the date is TOMORROW – October 25th. Most CVS larger locations and city and town police departments will participate as drop off sites, including some additional locations.

CVS notes that in the US, 1 in 4 teens has misused or abused prescription drugs.* Most get them from the family medicine cabinet. They encourage their customers and everyone else to help stop prescription drug abuse, and drop off those “expired, unused or unwanted medications for safe disposal”. Participating locations should have signage and a designated drop-off “box” near the pharmacy. CVS Pharmacy® partnered with local law enforcement agencies to remove more than 1 million pounds of unwanted and expired medications from U.S. households.

Just some of the 38 CVS drop off sites

You can locate a drop off location – 38+ in RI – by use of these sites:

https://safe.pharmacy/drug-disposal/

https://www.dea.gov/takebackday#collection-locator

In Providence, from 10am to 2pm, the Providence Public Safety Complex is a site and will also “distribute items to support safe medication storage and disposal, including medication lock bags and disposal kits”, according to Providence Mayor Smiley, who noted, “This initiative helps reduce the risks these medications pose for families in our City, and I encourage everyone to use this opportunity for safe disposal.”

Prescription drug misuse continues to pose a serious public health challenge in the US, with high rates of non-prescribed use driving accidental poisonings and overdose deaths. Approximately half of overdoses continue to involve prescription drugs alone or in combination with illicit drugs.

Since 2010, Take Back Day has provided Americans with an easy, accessible way to rid their homes of medications that could pose a threat if misused – resulting in a staggering 20 million pounds of unused medications collected to date.

What kinds of medications can you drop off?

Accepted

• Prescription medications (Scheduled II through V Controlled and Non-Controlled), in original packaging if possible
• Over-the-counter medications, in original packaging if possible
• Liquid medicine bottles less than 4 ounces in a resealable plastic bag

Not accepted

• Illegal (Schedule I) drugs
• Needles/syringes or sharp containers
• Medical devices, batteries
• Aerosol cans, inhalers
• Chemicals
• Mercury-containing devices