April 22 is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), this event offers people across the United States the opportunity to anonymously dispose of unused or expired medications, including opioids such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine.
Last April’s National Drug Take Back Day collected over 720,000 pounds of unneeded medications. Events like these are critical in the ongoing fight against the opioid epidemic because getting leftover or other unneeded prescriptions out of the home can help prevent unauthorized access by friends and family members to addictive or harmful drugs. Proper prescription drug disposal also helps prevent environmental contamination caused by discarding drugs down the drain.
Stericycle encourages you to visit a collection site near you on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Supporting Drug Take Back Activities Year-Round
Stericycle is committed to helping Americans dispose of unused medications in a responsible manner. We strongly support National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, and we also work closely with retail and hospital pharmacies to enable the responsible disposal of unused drugs all year round. A few ways we help people take part in the collection, treatment, and disposal of unused medications from homes and healthcare facilities include:
1. Seal&Send™ Consumer Medication Mail Back Envelopes
Stericycle’s Seal&Send™ Consumer Medication Mail Back Envelopes help with convenient and anonymous medication disposal from home. The prepaid envelopes let patients turn in up to eight ounces of unused medication by mailing them via USPS to a Stericycle facility for incineration. This is a helpful solution for those who cannot get to a drop-off point during Drug Take Back Day or to a MedDrop™ Medication Collection Kiosk.
This Drug Take Back Day, Stericycle is providing team members in certain offices in the United States with Seal&Send™ Consumer Medication Mail Back Envelopes to take home for their use or to give to others. Using Seal&Send™ helps prevent the abuse of prescription drugs by providing an anonymous way to discard any leftover medications before they are found by a friend or family member. Stericycle incinerates all returned Seal&Send™ envelopes with the medication inside, which helps prevent environmental contamination that can be caused by discarding unused prescription drugs down the drain.
2. MedDrop™ Medication Collection Kiosks
DEA registered retail and hospital pharmacies can place our award-winning drug collection kiosks in public areas, where individuals can then confidentially drop off their leftover medications. The inner liners, once filled with drugs, are sent to Stericycle for incineration, which helps prevent environmental contamination that can be caused by discarding unused medications down the drain. Our kiosks are locked, and access to the drugs is restricted to help prevent theft or other diversion during collection.
3. CsRx® Controlled Substance Waste Service Program
Stericycle’s CsRx® Controlled Substance Waste Service Program is designed for hospitals and other healthcare providers, rather than individuals. CsRx® can help healthcare facilities prevent the diversion of controlled substance wastage (which refers to what is left over after a partially administered dose of a controlled substance medication). CsRx® services include a locked container with a one-way disposal path, solidifying agents to help deactivate the medication and deter retrieval, and treatment via incineration of the medication prior to disposal.
Taking Part in Responsible Drug Disposal
As a leader in providing convenient disposal solutions for unused pharmaceuticals, Stericycle is dedicated to helping the communities we serve address the opioid crisis by limiting the potential for diversion and other unauthorized access to controlled substances. We are constantly looking for ways to better inform the public about the importance of properly handling leftover prescription and over-the-counter medications. We are committed to delivering practical and user-friendly solutions that streamline the disposal process.
Learn more about how Stericycle is working to combat the opioid epidemic through our safe community solutions.
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