A good first step is for organizers to familiarize themselves with the federal regulations for collecting unwanted medicine during single-day events and year-round programs. It is important to follow the rules governing these events to protect the health and safety of everyone involved.

The first thing to decide is whether the community will host a single-day collection event or develop a permanent medicine collection program. In both cases, involving law enforcement is a good idea. This allows your event or program to collect controlled substances, and in many cases can assist you in storing or disposing of collected medicine.

• If you are planning a single-day event, coordinating your event to coincide with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Take Back Day is a great idea. Any law enforcement office can sign up to participate.
• If you are planning on establishing a permanent collection program, your organization or partner organization must be registered with the DEA.

Next on the checklist is to determine how to dispose of any collected medicine in a safe, environmentally friendly way. Before any event is scheduled, the method of disposal should be arranged in order to prevent the need to store large quantities of collected medicine. Currently, there is no national funding source for medicine collection programs. Locally you may find assistance from law enforcement, pharmacies and hospitals, household hazardous waste (HHW) offices, public health departments, or environmental groups. If you are registered or partnered with an organization that is registered with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Take Back Day, they will collect and dispose of your collected medicine.

Collected medicines are generally handled as municipal solid waste. Depending on state and local requirements, organizers of collection events or programs typically dispose of pharmaceuticals at permitted incinerators. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has information about how to ensure that the collected pharmaceuticals are managed in accordance with all local and state environmental regulations.

Controlled substances are drugs that have strong potential for abuse or addiction. They include narcotics, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and anabolic steroids. Under the federal Controlled Substances Act, only the person who was prescribed a controlled substance may legally possess it. The only exception is for law enforcement officials, who are authorized to take controlled substances into their custody. It isn’t easy to identify controlled substances because they are not labeled as such. Since most people do not know the difference between controlled and non-controlled substances, law enforcement should be present at any collection event, even if it is advertised as not accepting controlled substances.

Under the U.S. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, waste from households is exempt from hazardous waste regulations. However, some states regulate hazardous waste from households if it is consolidated in a single location, such as at a medicine collection event or program. Check with your state’s environmental agency to see if the participation of a hazardous waste hauler is necessary.

Getting the word out is vital to the success of your event or program. People need to know why bringing their unwanted medications to a collection event or program site is important. They also need to know what items they can and can’t bring. Some collection programs are able to accept only prescription and over-the-counter medications. Some collection programs can’t accept liquids or creams, while others can. Some collection programs want pills removed from the original container, while others need the container to identify the medication. Can controlled substances be disposed at the event? Will injection pens, needles or “sharps,” and used patches be collected? The instructions and answers to these questions must be clear and communicated to the public ahead of the event.

Collection programs must be easy to use. If possible, the program should be free and provided during hours when people are likely to be available (before or after typical working hours or on weekends). The location should be secure but easily accessible. Permanent collection boxes are often placed in an open lobby that is easily accessible, sometimes 24/7, but care must be taken to ensure the box is installed in compliance with federal regulations. Single-day collection events are often organized as “drive-through” events, where participants never even need to get out of their cars to dispose. Law enforcement officers and volunteers are on-hand to take custody of the medicine.

Contact with some pharmaceuticals can pose safety risks to pharmacy workers or collection participants. Some drugs are hazardous through skin contact while others pose an inhalation threat. Reactions between certain substances are also possible. Liquids may be hard to control, and spills of certain medicines could require special clean-up procedures.

Take safety measures to protect the health of the collection staff receiving and managing returned pharmaceuticals. Keep medications in their original packaging to prevent reactions in the collection bin. Anyone handling medications or the containers should wear gloves as an extra precaution, and take care to ensure no needles or “sharps” have been improperly included with unwanted medication. Have gloves in small and large sizes available for collection workers. Face masks or shields should also be provided.

If possible, keep records of the medicines and other items you collect, but not identifiable personal information. This information can be valuable to researchers who are trying to develop improved prescription and patient communication practices.

Maintaining anonymity for participants is critical. One method to ensure privacy is to ask participants to black out their personal information on the medicine label with a pen or marker before dropping off the containers. Have pens or markers handy for those who forgot this important step.

In addition to medicines, participants may bring in vitamins and homeopathic remedies and other personal care products. Some of these substances may be regulated as hazardous waste due to the presence of metals or solvents. While collecting these may increase waste volumes, they should not pose regulatory or environmental problems as long as they are managed along with pharmaceuticals. The allowability of these items should be clearly communicated while publicizing the event.