Stolen, misused and lost prescription drugs fall into the wrong hands or end up as environmental hazards. That’s why the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) launched National Drug Take-Back Day. Twice a year, designated locations across the U.S. provide an opportunity for people to dispose of prescription drugs anonymously and safely at designated drop-off sites. The last event took place on April 27.
The DEA says that the majority of abused prescription drugs are taken from a home medicine cabinet belonging to friends or family members. If you’re not storing and disposing of your unused opioids responsibly, they could end up furthering the opioid epidemic. Nearly 6 million Americans misused prescription drugs, primarily painkillers such as opioids. If you drop your unneeded opioids off on Drug Take-Back Day, you can help prevent someone from misusing your medication.
Where to Drop Off Your Unused Opioids on National Drug Take-Back Day
Between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. on Drug Take-Back Day, Saturday, October 23, you can drop off any prescriptions you no longer need.
Where to find a Drug Take-Back Day drop-off site near you:
Use the DEA’s drug collection site locator to find your nearest participating Drug Take-Back Day location.
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You also can go to a year-round drug disposal location on other dates. Year-round drop-off locations are listed in the Diversion Control Division’s controlled substance public disposal location finder.
What you can drop off on Drug Take-Back Day:
- Unused or expired prescription pills
- Unused or expired prescription patches
Items that cannot be dropped off:
- Asthma inhalers
- Illicit drugs
- Liquids
- Medications containing iodine
- Needles or other sharps
The FDA asks that people do not simply throw away or flush opioids down the toilet. Some opioids are an environmental safety hazard if they’re not disposed of properly. Check out the FDA’s guidelines for disposing of medications to learn how you can safely discard prescription drugs if you can’t get to a drop-off site.
How You Can Help End the Opioid Crisis
Participating in events like National Drug Take-Back Day is one way you can assist in ending the opioid crisis. “Over the last two years, our nationwide Drug Take-Back Day has recovered 3.7 million pounds of prescription drugs,” said President Donald Trump at the 2019 Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit on April 24.
President Trump also emphasized the importance of prevention and recovery efforts, however. “Our greatest resource in our fight against drugs is the heart, mind and soul of the American people,” he said. “Let us pledge to support Americans on their road to recovery. Every American deserves to know the glory of hope, the joy of belonging and the blessing of healing.”
Learn About Anesthesia-Assisted Rapid Opiate Detox
National Drug Take Back Day is an opportunity to further the conversation about opioid treatment options. Anesthesia-assisted opiate detoxification, for example, is a safe and effective treatment when performed by an experienced medical doctor. Also known as rapid detox, this treatment offers sufferers of opioid use disorder the option of being sedated during the withdrawal so that they have no memory of the detoxification.
One of the pioneers of rapid detox is Waismann Method®, the only provider of the Waismann Treatment™. The Waismann Method® medical director tailors the medical protocol to each patient’s health requirements. This individualization is based on his comprehensive medical evaluation of the patient the day prior to detox. This process — and the quadruple board-certified medical director’s extensive rapid detox experience — are just some of the factors that make Waismann Method® the premier rapid detox center in the U.S.
Rapid detox also gives opioid patients significant advantages that other treatment options can’t:
- The Waismann Detox® only takes two hours or less. Treatment, including recovery time, can be completed in just five to 10 days. The patient does not have to put their life on hold for months like they would at a rehab.
- It does not involve the use of replacement drugs like buprenorphine-based medications such as Suboxone and methadone. Waismann Treatment™ patients become completely opioid-free.
- Rapid detoxification is performed in a private ICU room of a full-service, JCAHO-accredited hospital, so patients can have superior medical care during detox.
After detox, Waismann Methods medical director evaluates the patient to determine an appropriate discharge date from the hospital. Once discharged, the patient receives professional recovery care at the Domus Retreat Recovery Center.
Share What You Learn on National Take Back Day
Responsibly storing and disposing of opioids is just one step the average American can take to help stop the opioid epidemic. Sharing information about treatment options such as the Waismann Detox™ is the next step in helping end opioid dependence and prevent opioid-related deaths.
