Riverside Community Hospital will partner with the Police Department for National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, offering residents a safe way to dispose of unused and expired medications.
The free event runs from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Riverside Plaza, 3639 Riverside Plaza Dr., in front of Nordstrom Rack.
The "Crush the Crisis" initiative, part of a nationwide Drug Enforcement Administration effort, aims to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft while keeping medications from contaminating water supplies when flushed or thrown in regular trash.
"This provides a safe and anonymous way to dispose of medications that may be left over from previous procedures or other medical visits," said hospital officials in announcing the event.
The DEA typically destroys collected medications through incineration, according to David J. Maxfield, the hospital's director of communications and community engagement.
What They'll Accept
Accepted items include:
- Tablets and capsules in any packaging
- Patches
- Medicated ointments, lotions, or drops
- Liquid medications in leak-proof containers
- Vape cartridges without batteries
- Pet medications
The event will not accept needles, syringes, lancets, or illegal drugs.
Year-Round Options
While the hospital event offers a convenient disposal option, residents needing to dispose of medications throughout the year have several alternatives. Many police departments and pharmacies accept legal, expired medications year-round.
The DEA maintains a database of permanent disposal locations at apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch.
