NATIONAL TAKE-BACK INITIATIVE

Upcoming Take-Back Day — April 27, 2013
(10:00AM - 2:00PM)

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day which will take place on Saturday, April 27, 2013, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  This is a great opportunity for those who missed the previous events, or who have subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medications.

In the four previous Take-Back events, DEA in conjunction with our state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners have collected more than 2 million pounds (1,018 tons) of prescription medications were removed from circulation.

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposal, while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of these medications.

Shortly after DEA’s first Take-Back Day event two years ago, Congress passed, and President Obama signed, the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amended the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), allowing DEA to develop permanent, ongoing, and responsible methods for disposal. Prior to the passage of the Disposal Act, the CSA provided no legal means for transferring possession of controlled substance medications from users to other individuals for disposal. On December 21, 2012, DEA published in the Federal Register a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Disposal of Controlled Substances.  These regulations would implement the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-273) by expanding the options available to collect controlled substances from ultimate users for purposes of disposal to include: Take-Back events, mail-back programs, and collection receptacle locations.

However, until these regulations become permanent, DEA will continue to hold Take-Back Days.

General Public Inquiries:

Please check back April 1, 2013 to locate collection sites near you.

Partnership Toolbox

Download posters, handouts and other materials to promote National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

Law Enforcement Agencies Only:

For law enforcement agencies that wish to host a collection site please call the POC in your area.

News Releases

• DEA’s Fifth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Results in Another Big Haul (October 4, 2012)
• Fourth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Event Collects Record 276 Tons (May 3, 2012)
• DEA’s Third National Prescription Drug Take-Back Event Collects 188.5 Tons (November 3, 2011)
• Another Huge Turnout At DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Event (May 06, 2011)
• American Public Overwhelmingly Responds to DEA Prescription Drug Take-Back Effort (October 5, 2010)

Additional Resources

• Disposal of Controlled Substances – Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
• Drug Disposal Information
• FDA – How to Dispose of Unused Medicines
• FDA – Disposal of Unused Medicines