No Questions Asked on National RX Drug Take Back Day

Do you know abuse of prescription drugs is the second most common form of drug abuse in the U.S., second only to marijuana? Are you aware the majority of teens abusing prescription drugs get them from their home medicine cabinet? National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is a community effort to save lives through the safe disposal of unused and expired prescription drugs.

Published Apr 26, 2019

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J.Adderton, BSN, MSN

121 Articles; 502 Posts

Specializes in Clinical Leadership, Staff Development, Education.

On Saturday, April 27, 2019, participating communities will partner with law enforcement for the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. The ‘no questions asked” event is hosted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in April and October of each year. Collection sites are set up in cities throughout the U.S. for the safe disposal of prescription medications people have at home. Dropping off unused or expired medications is free to the public and no questions are asked about the medications, including opioids. The DEA launched the take-back event in October of 2010 and since that time 5,439.5 tons of medications have been collected. The October 2018 event collected 457.12 tons of medications. To put this amount into perspective, compare 457 tons to four blue whales with each weighing approximately 100 tons.

The Strategy of No Questions Asked

Opioid abuse continues to be a public health concern and remains at epidemic levels in the U.S. The CDC reports 46 people die everyday of overdose related to prescription medications. In 2017, more than 35% of all opioid overdose deaths involved prescription opioids. Methadone, oxycodone and hydrocodone are the most common cause of opioid overdose deaths. Unused prescriptions discarded in the garbage can be retrieved, abused or sold illegally. The strategy of “no questions asked” is to promote safe disposal through anonymous means without consequences.

Children are especially at risk for accidental exposure to prescription medications. Approximately 60,000 emergency department visits are made due to children under the age of 6 finding and ingesting medications when unsupervised. Children age 1-2 years old represent over two-third of all ED visits for accidental medication exposure and approximately 20% require hospitalization. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the number of children hospitalized for opioid poisoning increased 3x from 1997 to 2012 with toddlers and preschoolers representing the largest overall increase. Take-Back Day is an opportunity to discard medications to help prevent misuse, accidental exposure, overdose and possibly death from dangerous drugs.

Take Back Events Do Not Accept Some Items

The following items are generally not accepted at the collection site:

Needles and other sharps
Inhalers
Mercury thermometers
Iodine-containing medications
Illicit drugs or substances (this includes marijuana which is a schedule 1 drug under federal law), and any prescriptions medications obtained illegally.

*Individuals can call the collection site ahead of time to determine what items are not accepted.

No Take Back Collection Site Nearby?

If disposal instructions are not given on drug labeling and no prescription drug take back program is available, then follow these directions to discard in your home trash:

Scratch out any identifying information on the prescription container to protect your identity and personal health information.
Remove the medicine from its container and mix it with a substance that would make it undesirable to ingest (kitty litter, coffee grounds, dirt).
Do not crush tablets or capsules before mixing.
Place the mixture in a bag (sealable) or other container to prevent the medicine from leaking out of the trash bag.
The FDA recommends disposing of fentanyl patches immediately after removing by folding the patch in half (sticky sides meet) and then flushing it down the toilet.
Children and pets can find fentanyl patches if disposed in trash. Instructions for disposal can be found in the product medication guide.

If disposal by the above method is not possible, one option is to flush the medication down the sink or toilet. Keep in mind- some communities may prohibit flushing medications out of concern of trace levels of the drugs found in rivers, lakes and drinking water supplies. Be sure to comply with the communities regulations and laws concerning medication disposal. Do not flush medications in the toilet or sink unless prescription labeling or patient information instructs you to. Locate available year round disposal locations here.