DEA Drug Take-Back Collection Site Locator Now Available

MOUNT PROSPECT, IL--(Marketwired - Apr 23, 2014) - 1.3 million emergency department visits in 2010 were related to prescription drug misuse or abuse. Approximately 50 percent of teens believe prescription drug abuse is safer than abusing street drugs and three in five teens say prescription drugs would be easy to obtain from a parent's medicine cabinet. National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Foundation (NABP) wants everyone to know that over 50% of prescription drug abusers over age 12 got them from family and friends. Proper disposal of unneeded drugs protects your loved ones from misuse. NABP and its AWARxE Prescription Drug Safety Program are taking a stand against prescription drug abuse by spreading awareness of this issue and sharing information on proper prescription drug disposal.

Prescription drug overdose deaths due to misuse have reached epidemic levels in the US, warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC reports that in 2010, 60 percent of the drug overdose deaths involved pharmaceutical drugs. Opioid analgesics, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and methadone, were involved in about 3 of every 4 pharmaceutical overdose deaths.

In an effort to help stop this growing problem, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is hosting a Take-Back Day on April 26, 2014. On this day, from 10 AM to 2 PM, thousands of DEA-coordinated collection sites will be available across the country, and AWARxE encourages consumers to use this unique opportunity to safely and legally dispose of any unneeded pills, including controlled substance medications, as these pills can only be accepted for disposal when law enforcement is present. The DEA take-back service is free and anonymous, with no questions asked. Sites will accept tablets, capsules, and all other solid dosage forms of unwanted medication. Personal information may be blacked out on prescription bottles, or medications may be emptied from the bottles into the bins provided at the disposal locations.

Now available online, the DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day collection site locator allows consumers to search for a convenient location to dispose of unneeded medications, including prescription pain pills and other controlled substance medications, on Saturday, April 26, 2014. Past Take-Back Day events have been hugely successful, collecting more than 3 million pounds, or 1,733 tons, of prescription medications. The most recent Take-Back Day saw participation from state, local, and tribal law enforcement partners and provided 5,683 take-back sites across all 50 states and the US territories. To find the most convenient location on April 26, 2014, check the DEA collection site locator often, as new locations will be added up until the Take-Back Day.

To help fight the prescription drug abuse epidemic, you can join AWARxE efforts by spreading awareness about prescription drug abuse dangers, proper disposal of unneeded drugs, and secure storage of medications in the home. Together, we can stop the misuse of prescription drugs. More information and a link to the DEA Take-Back Day collection site locator is available on www.AWARErx.org.

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