The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) encourages community members to drop-off expired, unused or unwanted prescription medications from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on “National Take Back Day” Saturday, October 24 at numerous locations throughout Orange County.

“This is a great opportunity for folks to clean out their medicine cabinets while helping to safeguard the health and well-being of those they love,” said Dr. Jeffrey Nagel, Deputy Agency Director of Behavioral Health Services. “One of the main sources of drug misuse is prescription pain medication taken from a friend or family member. The opioid crisis is nationwide and participating in events like National Take Back Day is critical.”

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that are stored in home medicine cabinets are highly susceptible to misuse. Rates of prescription drug misuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

Drop-off service is free and anonymous. To learn more about drug misuse prevention efforts in Orange County or to find ongoing, local and safe disposal locations, visit www.ochealthinfo.com/adept. You can also locate a drop-off site near you, by visiting the Drug Enforcement Administration – DEA website at www.DEATakeback.com or call 1-(800) 882-9539.

In addition to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the 11,000 authorized drop-off sites that are available all year long. For more information, visit DEA’s year-round drop-off site locator.

The Food and Drug Administration also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs. More information is available here: https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines.