National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Set for Saturday

OMAHA, Neb. – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in coordination with more than 4,400 law enforcement partners, will host the 28th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering communities a safe, convenient and anonymous way to dispose of unneeded prescription medications. 

The five state DEA Omaha Division, made up of Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, will host nearly 160 Take Back locations at which tablets, capsules, patches and other solid forms of prescription drugs will be accepted. Liquids, such as cough syrups, will also be accepted but must remain tightly sealed in their original containers. Vaping devices and cartridges will be accepted if lithium batteries are removed. Syringes, sharps, and illicit substances will not be collected.

For 16 years, the DEA has worked with state and local partners to make safe medication disposal accessible to everyone, helping communities prevent prescription drug misuse and raise awareness of the dangers of keeping unneeded medications in the home.

“National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is a great opportunity to clean out your medicine cabinets and remove the temptation for experimentation or misuse,” DEA Omaha Division Acting Diversion Program Manager Summer Schwab said. “We encourage you to make Take Back Day a family event. Use this time to talk with your children about the risks of prescription drug misuse and lead by example by bringing your expired or unused medications to a Take Back Day site.”

According to The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine are among the most frequently misused prescription pain medications.

To find a collection site near you for Saturday’s event, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.  

For those unable to participate on April 26, nearly 17,000 pharmacies, hospitals, clinics, and law enforcement locations offer year-round drug disposal options across the country to ensure Every Day is Take Back Day.