National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is Saturday, April 24

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is the perfect time to clean out those medicine cabinets and safely dispose of any unused medications. Safe disposal is critical to prevent misuse, accidental poisoning in children and to help prevent the risk of contaminating the water supply if drugs are flushed or end up in landfills. 

Every year, millions of people misuse prescription drugs including stimulants, opioids, other pain relievers and sedatives. Often, these drugs were obtained from the legitimate prescriptions of family members or friends.

To help keep unused drugs away from people who may be tempted to use them, and to provide a safe, environmentally-friendly way to discard prescriptions, The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) created Take Back days. These no-questions-asked events provide information about drug collection sites, and remind communities of the importance of safe medication disposal to help reduce the risk of misuse, addiction and overdose deaths.  

This Saturday, April 24, is the next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

If you have unneeded or expired medication, take it to any area police department or to the community drop box at Rochelle Community Hospital. The drop box is located at RCH in Patient Access near the 3rd Street entrance.

Click below to see other local collection locations.

All drop offs are safe and completely anonymous.  

What you CAN dispose of at RCH: 

  • Over-the-counter medications
  • Prescription drugs
  • Controlled prescription drugs

What RCH DOES NOT accept: 

  • Flammable liquids
  • Illegal drugs—heroin, cocaine, marijuana, ecstasy
  • Medical waste
  • Medical equipment
  • Mercury thermometers
  • Inhalers
  • Sharps—needles, syringes, lancets 

Please take this time to discard unneeded or expired medications safely. It’s a simple step, but it could make a big difference to help keep the people you love a little bit safer.