Drop Off Unwanted Prescriptions On Drug Take-Back Day In DC

WASHINGTON, DC — DC residents can safely dispose of unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medicines on Saturday, April 29, when the DC Police participates in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative. The event lets people surrender expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications to law enforcement officers for destruction.

The drop-off program is completely anonymous, no identification is requested of people disposing of prescription medications, and people are therefore encouraged to remove identifying labels from containers.

Residents can drop off their meds at seven different locations:

First District Station
101 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024

Second District Station
3320 Idaho Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016

Third District Station
1620 V Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009

Fourth District Station
6001 Georgia Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20011

Fifth District Station
1805 Bladensburg Road, NE
Washington, DC 20002

Sixth District Station
5002 Hayes Street, NE
Washington, DC 20019

Seventh District Station
2455 Alabama Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20020

Liquid medications should be in a sealed container to prevent leakage (original bottle). Other medications (pills, tablets, etc.) can be in a ziplock bag or will be disposed of directly into the disposal box, and their original containers can be put in a recycling bin.

The police department is not accepting needles or injectibles. Any other type of medication is accepted (controlled, non-controlled, or over the counter).

Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs, according to federal authorities. Studies show most abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. And, disposing of unused medicines by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash both pose potential safety and health hazards.

Drugs should not be thrown in the trash unless specific safety precautions for safe disposal are followed. The County’s Division of Solid Waste Services offers these suggestions:

1. Place unwanted or expired medication into a plastic bag (with a seal) or other empty container with a lid to prevent liquid medications from leaking out.
2. Mix with kitty litter, coffee grounds or sawdust. (Liquid medications can be solidified using kitty litter or sawdust.)
3. Seal the bag and/or container.
4. Crush pills or tablets.
5. Put the container and/or bag containing the medication into your regular household trash.
6. Remove the label with the patient’s name from the original medicine vial or bottle.
7. Place the empty plastic vial or bottle into your blue County recycling bin. Empty aerosol inhalers can also be recycled in the County recycling bins.

All the returned medications on Drug Take-Back day will be incinerated according to federal and state environmental guidelines.