National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

Did you know? April 22^nd is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), National Prescription Drug Take Back Day promotes medication safety and disposal in our communities across the country. Unnecessary prescription drugs, including opioids, can be misused, or abused by individuals prescribed the medications or unregulated members of the community with access to the medication supply. Encouraging the public to remove unnecessary medications from their homes is important to the public health and safety of Americans. This annual event can prevent prescription medication misuse and avoid potential opioid addiction. 

The disposal window for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is 10 AM to 2 PM.

The DEA Prescription Drug Take Back Day website has resources to find collection sites in your area. The Collection Site Locator feature allows you to search for public collection sites by zip code, county, city or state levels. Unused and unwanted prescription medications will be accepted at more than 4,000 drop-off locations across the country. Be sure to remove any personal identifiers, such as name and date of birth found on your prescription bottles, from any packaging prior to medication disposal. You can find this tool and other information regarding National Prescription Drug Take Back Day here. 

Why is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Important?

According to a 2015 article in the Journal of Environmental Management, the United States produces the most medical waste among all world countries, accounting for more than 3.5 million tons annually. Many households across the country have unused medications spread across different rooms and storage containers.  Some medication treatments become outdated due to advancements in disease treatment, changing of prescription medications for improved disease state management and general discontinuation of medication therapy.  Throwing unused medications into the regular trash at home can result in environmental harm, pollution and even accidental death if ingested. The DEA even accepts vaping devices and cartridges at these sites for safe disposal. More than 324 tons of unwanted medications were collected across the country at the October, 2022 National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

How Can ProspHire Help?

At ProspHire, we can assist your health plan with decreasing medication waste through the implementation of significant services focused on medication utilization. Our team of clinical experts can analyze your data and identify medication use patterns to provide waste reduction strategies with the opportunity for prescription medication deprescribing.   

For more on HEDIS Opioid Measures and Strategies to Mitigate Inappropriate Use of Opioids HEDIS Opioid Strategies to Mitigate Inappropriate Use (prosphire.com)