REMINDER: Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is October 26

On Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024 – from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – the Prince William County Police Department and the Manassas City Police Department will join with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and community groups to provide you with a safe and legal way to dispose of unused or expired prescription medications. Simply bring them to the collection sites at UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center, UVA Health System Haymarket Medical Center, or Sentara Healthcare Lake Ridge.

This nationwide prescription drug “Take-Back” initiative seeks to prevent pill abuse and theft. Did you know? (Source: DEA)

• Unused or expired prescription medications are a public-safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose and abuse.
• Pharmaceutical drugs are just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision.
• The majority of those abusing prescription drugs get them from family and friends, or the home medicine cabinet.
• Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused, or illegally sold. They also can contaminate groundwater or soil. Unused drugs that are flushed can contaminate the water supply. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.
• Take-back programs are the best way to dispose of old drugs. But if a program is not available take the meds out of their bottles, mix them with something unappealing like used kitty litter or coffee grounds and seal them in a bag or disposable container and throw it away.

During this initiative, prescription and over-the-counter solid-dosage medications (i.e., tablets and capsules) will be accepted. Vape pens and e-cigarettes will also be accepted AFTER batteries have been removed. Intravenous solutions, injectables, needles, hydrogen peroxide, compressed cylinders (asthma inhalers, for example), iodine-containing medications and thermometers will not be accepted. Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine will also not be accepted during National Take-Back Day. To protect your privacy, you can use a permanent marker to blacken out your personal information on the labels, if you are unable to peel them off, prior to turning them in.

For more information, please call the Crime Prevention Unit at (703) 792-7270.