The Drug Enforcement Admnistration has announced that Saturday will be the next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day when the federal agency and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs.
For more than a decade, DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which takes place once in the spring and once in the fall, has helped Americans easily rid their homes of unneeded medications, those that are old, unwanted, or expired, that too often become a gateway to addiction.
The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., local time, at police stations, health departments, and pharmacies, among others; giving you have plenty of time to gather up those expired or otherwise unused prescription drugs, to take to a local collection center.
On Saturday, they will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes and other sharps, and illicit drugs will not be accepted.
Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP) are encouraging Kentuckians to participate.
“In 2019, we lost 1,316 Kentucky residents to overdose deaths, with a significant number of those overdose deaths caused by opioids,” Beshear said. “Every step we make to prevent a loved one from misusing or abusing prescription drugs is worth the fight. National Prescription Drug Take Back Drug is one of those easy steps we can make to protect all Kentuckians.”
During the last National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which was last held Oct. 28, 2023, Kentucky had 10,745 pounds of drugs turned in across the state, while 300 tons were collected nationwide. Over the past 25 Take Back Days, 246,467 pounds of drugs have been collected in Kentucky, contributing to the 8,950 tons turned in across the U.S.
To find a collection center near you, go to https://www.dea.gov/takebackday, and click on the collection site locater option.
Among the Northern Kentucky options are the Wilder Police Dept., Fort Thomas Police Dept., NKU Police Dept., Erlanger Police Dept., Florence Police Dept., Boone Co. Sheriff’s Dept., Alexandria Police Dept. and Kentucky State Police Post 6.
There are more than 40 locations across Kentucky. If you can’t make it to a drop-off location this Saturday, it should be noted that many pharmacies and hospitals and local city government buildlings offer permanent drop boxes where residents can dispose of prescription medication.
The DEA reminds you that cleaning out your medicine cabinet could help prevent theft, drug abuse, and potentially save a life.