Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, with 73 collection sites across Arizona
Apr 26, 2024, 1:00 PM
Arizonans can dispose of their unused prescriptions at various locations across the Valley on Saturday, April 27, 2024, as part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.(AP File Photo)
(AP File Photo)
PHOENIX — Arizonans can dispose of their unused prescriptions at various locations across the Valley on Saturday as part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Tablets, patches, capsules and other forms of prescription drug medications will be accepted at at least 73 sites across the state from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Collection site locations, hosted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, can be found online.
“Properly disposing of unneeded medications is essential,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a press release. “It stops drug poisonings and minimizes the risk for misuse.”
Other things you should know before disposing of prescription drugs in Arizona
Liquid products (such as cough syrup) should be tightly sealed in their original container. Vaping devices and cartridges can continue to be dropped off if lithium batteries are removed.
Syringes, sharps or illicit drugs won’t be accepted at collection sites.
Between 2021-22, the overall drug overdose deaths stayed about the same, according to the Center for Disease Control. In 2022, there were roughly 32.6 deaths per 100,000 people, which is slightly higher than the 32.4 deaths reported in 2021.
Last October’s Take Back Day saw Arizona residents turn in 2.7 tons of prescription medication.
