The Drug Enforcement Administration Will Offer Local Collection Sites on April 30

Washington, DC – The DC Department of Health (DOH), DC Board of Pharmacy and the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) are encouraging District residents to dispose of their unused prescription drugs properly. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced a prescription drug “Take-Back” initiative in conjunction with state and local governments on Saturday, April 30.   

Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, and can lead to accidental poisoning, overdose, and abuse.  According to the DEA, “rates of prescription abuse are alarmingly high—more Americans currently abuse prescription drugs than the number of those using cocaine, hallucinogens, and heroin combined, according to the 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. And studies indicate that individuals that abuse prescription drugs often obtained them from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.”   

Last September Americans turned in 242,000 pounds—121 tons—of prescription drugs at nearly 4,100 sites operated by the DEA and more than 3,000 state and local law enforcement partners, including the DC Metropolitan Police Department.

“Following safe and appropriate medication disposal methods will help reduce the potential danger to our community and our environment,” said DOH Director Dr. Mohammad Akhter. “And by working together as One City to remove potentially hazardous materials, we will make our city safer for those who live, work and play in the District.”   

The drug take-back initiative will help educate the public about proper medication disposal methods and offer local collection centers for people wanting to get rid of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted medicines.   Collection centers will be facilitated by the Washington-area DEA, which will work with state and local police departments throughout the region to help collect and destroy medications.  In addition, pharmacists from the DC Board of Pharmacy and student pharmacists from Howard University School of Pharmacy will provide information about safe disposal of medications at home. 

DC Water encourages the public to surrender all leftover or expired pharmaceuticals to ensure safety for people, the environment and our waterways.  “Medications that are flushed down the sink or toilet can end up in our waterways,” said DC Water General Manager George S. Hawkins. “The take-back day offers a safer and more environmentally responsible way to discard those drugs.”  

The DEA will offer several collection sites this Saturday, April 30, from 10 am to 2 pm.  The service is free and anonymous. Below is a list of collection sites in the District of Columbia.

For more information on collection sites in surroundings areas, visit www.dea.gov