National Drug Take Back Day
Safely Dispose of Unused Medications on April 26
4/24/2025
Rebecca Thao, Aspirus Pharmacy Resident
Aspirus Health is
encouraging community members to participate in National Prescription Drug Take
Back Day on April 26, a nationwide initiative led by the Drug Enforcement
Administration (DEA) to provide a safe, responsible way to dispose of unused,
unwanted, or expired medications.
Proper disposal of
medications helps prevent drug misuse and environmental contamination. In the
most recent Take Back Day, the DEA collected nearly 630,000 pounds of unused
medications, bringing the total to 19.2 million pounds since the program began.
Why Safe Medication
Disposal Matters
- Flushing medications
is NOT a safe disposal method.
“Flushing
medications down the toilet is harmful because it contaminates our water
supply,” said Rebecca Thao, Aspirus Pharmacy Resident. “These medications
contain chemicals that don’t just disappear. They can have lasting effects on
the environment.”
- Simply throwing
medications in the trash also carries risks.
“Children,
pets, or even wildlife can accidentally ingest discarded medications, which can
lead to serious health consequences,” Thao explained.
Where to Dispose of
Medications Safely
Many pharmacies and
health care facilities offer secure medication drop boxes for anonymous and
safe disposal.
“Drop boxes accept a
variety of medications, including prescription tablets, capsules, syrups,
patches, prescription topicals, and even expired over-the-counter vitamins and
supplements,” Thao said.
Aspirus Health
provides drop boxes at Aspirus Wausau Hospital and Aspirus Medford Hospital.
Additional drop-off locations can be found throughout the community and
nationwide using the DEA’s
National Take Back Locator.
Medication Disposal
Guidelines
Before disposing of
medications, remove personal information from packaging and follow local
disposal guidelines.
Items NOT accepted
in drug drop boxes:
- Needles & sharps
- Personal care
products (lotions, cosmetics, etc.)
- Thermometers
For more
information, visit doseofrealitywi.gov,
doseofreality.mn.gov, or michigan.gov, depending on your location.
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