National Prescription Drug Take Back Day 2021: Germantown Sites

GERMANTOWN, MD — If you have half-empty bottles of unused prescription drugs littering your bathroom shelves or medicine cabinet, mark your calendars for Saturday.

This year's first "National Prescription Drug Take Back Day" will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 24, giving Germantown area residents an opportunity to dispose of the medications safely before they end up in the wrong hands.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will host the 20th event in cooperation with law enforcement agencies. The service is free and anonymous. All pills will be accepted, but liquids, needles, and sharps can't be taken during this event.

The Montgomery County Police Department is among participating agencies. Police will collect unused prescription drugs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at:

• 20000 Aircraft Drive, Germantown

Other nearby locations include:

• 14 Fulks Corner Ave., Gaithersburg
• 45 W. Watkins Mill Rd., Gaithersburg
• 100 Edison Park Drive, Gaithersburg
• 2 W. Montgomery Ave., Rockville
• 6125 Montrose Rd., Rockville
• 8821 E. Village Ave., Montgomery Village
• 3305 N. Leisure World Blvd., Silver Spring
• 8110 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring
• 7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park
• 2300 Randolph Rd., Wheaton
• 4823 Rugby Ave., Bethesda
• 4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase

If you can't make it to any of those locations, find other drug take-back sites here.

According to the 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, millions of people every year misuse prescription pain relievers, stimulants, tranquilizers, and sedatives. Nearly 50,000 people in the United States died from opioid-involved overdoses that year.

The survey also showed that a majority of misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from a home's medicine cabinet.

The last drug take-back event was held in October 2020. During the event, partners collected nearly 985,400 pounds of unused prescription drugs nationwide, the largest amount ever collected in the program's 10 years. More than 9,150 pounds were collected in Maryland.

Nearly 13.7 million pounds of expired, unused, and unwanted prescription medications have been collected since the program's inception.

The Environmental Protection Agency offers guidance on items not accepted during take-back events, including the disposal of sharps and other medical waste. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers tips on getting rid of liquid medicines that are expired or no longer needed.

Given the ongoing pandemic, both the FDA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency also have tips on how to safely dispose of drugs without leaving home.