Protect Your Home, Community, and Environment: Safely Dispose of Unused Medications
Did you know that most people who misuse prescription drugs report getting them from family, friends, or acquaintances? If you have prescription or over-the-counter medications in your home, it’s important to store them securely—and to properly dispose of any medicine that is expired, unwanted, or no longer needed.
Keeping unused or expired medications around the house can increase the risk of accidental poisoning, misuse, and environmental harm. By safely disposing of old medications, you help protect your family, your community, and our environment.
You can make a difference by:
Regularly checking your medicine cabinets
Storing medications out of reach of children and others who might misuse them
Disposing of medications safely when they’re no longer needed
Take Action on National Drug Take Back Day – Saturday, April 26
For more than 20 years, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has hosted National Drug Take Back Day events each spring and fall. These events provide a free, anonymous, and responsible way to get rid of unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications.
On Saturday, April 26, law enforcement agencies across the country will host Take Back events in local communities. Find a nearby collection site and join the effort to keep our homes and neighborhoods safer.
🔗 Find a Take Back Day event near you. Visit https://www.dea.gov/takebackday.
More Safe Disposal Options
If you cannot attend a take-back event in your area, other safe drug disposal options are available, including prescription drug drop boxes, mail-back programs, and disposable Deterra medication deactivation bags. For a list of drop box locations and mail-back sites in Hancock and Washington counties, click here or visit https://medtakebackmaine.org/. Healthy Acadia has a limited number of disposal Deterra medication deactivation bags available at no cost to community members. Click here to submit a request.
For information on substance use recovery resources, such as recovery coaching, harm reduction tools, and accessing medication-assisted treatment, please visit https://www.healthyacadia.org/need-help.
You can make a difference by keeping track of the medicine you have, by rethinking where and how you keep your medications in your home, and by safely disposing of any unused medications. Click here for more ways to secure your meds and safely dispose of them at home.
Together, we can reduce the risk of medication misuse and create safer, healthier communities. Thank you for doing your part to keep our communities safe!