By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Saturday is the federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day when the 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. This gives you plenty of time to gather up those expired or otherwise unused prescription drugs, to take to pone of the local collection centers located across Kentucky.
On Saturday, they will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. However, liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes and other sharps, as well as illicit drugs will not be accepted.
During the last National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which was last held April 27, Kentucky had 12,547 pounds of drugs turned in across the state, while 335 tons were collected nationwide.
Over the past 26 Take Back Days, 259,014 pounds of drugs have been collected in Kentucky, contributing to the 9,285 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.
There are more than 50 locations across Kentucky.
If you can’t make it to a drop-off location this Saturday, many pharmacies and hospitals offer permanent drop boxes where residents can dispose of prescription medication, as well as many municipalities.
The DEA says that cleaning out your medicine cabinet could help prevent theft, drug abuse, and potentially save a life.
(Editor’s note: Kroger has announced that it will accept drop-offs at its Hebron, Newport, and Union Marketplaces. Local law enforcement personnel will be on site from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. to accept used or expired pills, liquids, gels and patches outside the stores.)