---
title: "Psych News Alert: New Opportunity to Dispose of Old Prescription Meds"
description: The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday, April 28, from 10:00...
image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/drugtakeback_64972213-Jun-24-2025-07-49-36-8821-PM.jpg
---

 4/26/12 12:00 AM

# New Opportunity to Dispose of Old Prescription Meds

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert)

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The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday, April 28, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Participants in the DEA’s third National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on October 29, 2011, turned in more than 377,086 pounds of unwanted or expired medications for safe disposal at the 5,327 take-back sites.

“These events have dramatically reduced the risk of prescription-drug diversion and abuse and increased awareness of this critical public-health issue,” said DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart. "The amount of prescription drugs turned in by the American public speaks volumes about the need to develop a convenient way to rid homes of unwanted or expired prescription drugs. DEA remains hard at work to establish a drug-disposal process and will continue to offer take-back opportunities until the proper regulations are in place." 

For more information about the event, including a collection-site locator, see the DEA's ["Got Drugs?"](http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback/index.html) site.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that states need to take more responsibility for reining in prescription drug abuse. Read more about the CDC's stance in *Psychiatric News*, [here](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=334878) . 

(Image: mashe/Shutterstock.com)

[prescription drug abuse](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/prescription-drug-abuse), [DEA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/dea)

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