FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Did you know that Saturday, April 26, is the next National Drug Take Back Day? It’s a day to safely dispose of unwanted, expired, or excess medications. But it’s also important to know that military pharmacies offer ways to safely dispose of drugs all year long through the Military Health System Drug Take Back program.

“National Drug Take Back Day promotes a healthier community by helping to prevent accidental misuse of expired or unused drugs,” said U.S. Army Maj. Danielle Zsido, Direct Care Branch Deputy Chief, Pharmacy Operations Division, at the Defense Health Agency. “It also helps protect the environment by reducing the chemicals that can enter our water system.”

Keep reading to learn more about why—and how—you should dispose of expired or unused drugs.

Why you should dispose of old prescriptions

Keeping expired or unused prescriptions at home can be risky. Children might find them, or someone might misuse them. Disposing of old prescriptions from home helps prevent potential harm and medication misuse.

Additionally, throwing drugs in the trash or flushing them down the toilet can harm our water supply and soil. When you dispose of drugs properly, you:

Keep children safe from accidental poisoning
Help prevent potential drug misuse
Protect your environment
Help keep your community safe

How military pharmacies help

Per Drug Enforcement Administration rules, pharmacists and other pharmacy staff can’t physically accept patients’ drugs for disposal. This is why you must physically put the drugs in the collection bin or envelope yourself, though the pharmacy is happy to provide you with the drug disposal receptacle. Every military pharmacy offers at least one way to dispose of drugs:

Secure blue drop boxes where you can leave unused drugs
Secure mail-in envelopes you can take home

The process is simple. Before you drop them off, just remove or black out your personal information on the labels.

What you can drop off

You can dispose of most drugs, including:

Prescription drugs
Over-the-counter drugs
Vitamins and supplements
Pet medications
Controlled substance prescription drugs

Note: You can’t dispose of more than four ounces of liquid drugs. You also can’t dispose needles, aerosol cans, or illegal drugs. If you aren’t sure whether you can drop off a certain item, check the list of items that your pharmacy will accept.

How to get rid of your expired or unused medications

Follow these simple steps:

Find your military pharmacy by visiting Find a Military Hospital or Clinic or calling directly.
Ask if they have a drop box or secure mail-in envelopes.
Remove personal information from prescription containers.
Drop off drugs during regular pharmacy hours.

Can’t get to a military pharmacy? The DEA has other drop-off sites on April 26. Check the DEA website to find one near you.

If you can’t get to a drop-off site and must dispose of drugs at home, follow these steps: