When you properly dispose of unwanted or unused medications, you help keep Vermonters and Vermont safe.
- More than half of people who misuse prescription medication get it from a friend or relative, often straight out of the medicine cabinet.
- Medications that are not properly stored in your home can be a risk to kids and pets who might accidentally ingest them. And flushing medications or tossing them in the trash is a danger to our waterways and wildlife.
Every spring and fall, health departments and drug disposal sites around the country join the Drug Enforcement Agency in holding National Prescription Drug Take Back Days. This twice-yearly event provides a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications, while educating about the potential for medication misuse, accidental ingestion and overdose.
Find the closest take back site to you: https://takebackday.dea.gov
You can also help all year long in these ways:
- Store your medications in a lock box or locked medicine cabinet.
- Drop off unused medication at a kiosk at your local pharmacy or police station.
- Mail unused medication in a pre-paid envelope. Request one here
