Typically, collections for household medicine accept unwanted or expired medicine, including both prescription and over-the-counter medicine. These collections are beneficial because:

• Unwanted medicine accumulating in the household presents a public safety hazard;
• Diverting medicine from the toilet or trash helps to prevent environmental pollution from wastewater treatment discharge and unlined solid waste landfills;
• Collections help educate the general public about the environmental impact of improper medicine disposal;
• A collection program provides the opportunity to inventory unused drugs and can yield data that could prove valuable to physicians in better managing their prescribing practices.

Several states, cities, and counties throughout the United States have successfully started long-term unwanted medicine collection programs, while others have organized single-day or annual collection events. Some programs have been specifically dedicated to collection of household medicine only, while others have accepted unwanted medicines as part of a larger household hazardous waste collection program. Programs such as the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s Take Back Day have stepped up to fill the void – offering consistent, biannual collections across the country. DEA-sponsored collections as part of this program are typically offered in April and October, and have been ongoing for more than ten years, growing in popularity as communities and residents learn more about this issue and decide to take action.