A teenager “borrows” her grandmother’s pain pills.

He can’t sleep…so “just one more pill.”

She gives her husband some of her old “leftover pain pills.”

Watch this powerful video to understand why it’s so important to remove unused and expired medications from your home.

Veterans! It’s time to prevent drug misuse and theft by ridding your homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

“Every day is take-back day at VA facilities.”

Removing these drugs also reduces the chance of taking them by accident and poisoning, especially for children, and reduces the risk of taking the wrong drug by mistake.

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, on Saturday, Oct. 27, provides a safe, convenient, and responsible way of disposing of unneeded medications at more than 5,000 collection sites nationwide.  Find local Take-Back Day sites here

The national awareness campaign is tomorrow, but Veterans can dispose of their unused and unwanted medications anytime.

VA is a leader in providing safe and responsible medication disposal options for Veterans and remains committed to the disposal of expired or unwanted prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs at every VA medical center and Community Based Outreach Clinic.

If you are not able to participate in the National Drug Take-Back Day, VA can also help you safely dispose of expired or unwanted prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs.

VA has envelopes that you can use to mail your unwanted medications for disposal that is safe for the environment. These envelopes are free and do not require postage. Your VA may also have a receptacle where you can deposit your unwanted medications. Check with your VA Pharmacist on which option is available at your VA facility.

Mail-back packages are available to Veterans at every medical facility and VA has on-site receptacles at 112 different medical facilities. If you are unable to come to the VA facility, contact your VA pharmacy to have a mail back package mailed to your home.

Elderly woman look at her medication in the medicine cabinet

As of Sept. 30, 2018, Veterans have returned more than 99 tons of unwanted or unneeded medications using receptacles or mail-back.  All medications are destroyed by a DEA registered vendor in an environmentally responsible manner keeping medications out of waterways and landfills.

“National Prescription Take-Back Day is a great way to get the word out to Veterans about the safe disposal of unused meds,” said Jeanne Tuttle, national pharmacist program manager, VHA Pharmacy Benefits Management Services.

“With the envelope program and receptacles, we provide real-time options for Veterans when they need it.  Every day is take-back day at VA facilities.”

Leave a comment

The comments section is for opinions and feedback on this particular article; this is not a customer support channel. If you are looking for assistance, please visit Ask VA or call 1-800-698-2411. Please, never put personally identifiable information (SSAN, address, phone number, etc.) or protected health information into the form — it will be deleted for your protection.

3 Comments

  1. Naija news October 31, 2018 at 05:56

    Unused drugs should be done away with. Because it’s gradually finishing our country.
    It will increase the percentage of expired drugs if not treated very quickly.

  2. Ernest Poulin October 26, 2018 at 16:33

    Hans, please confirm with the Loma Linda VAMC pharmacy. I brought mine to the window of the new pharmacy a month or so ago and they made me take them to the San Bernardino County Hazmat Disposal Section. The VA would NOT accept them!

  3. Friedrich October 26, 2018 at 14:37

    The issue of drugs has been paralyzing this country in the recent years like never before. It should be an absolute priority for our politicians, whatever side you’re voting for. Vets need to do their part and that’s what we’ve been doing for half a decade here in my hometown in Maryland. God bless

Comments are closed.

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