If you have prescription drugs at home that have expired or you no longer need them, you can safely dispose of them this Saturday, Oct. 27, on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.
Local health and public safety officials are encouraging residents to clear their medicine cabinets and turn in medications—no questions asked—to prevent prescription drugs from falling into the wrong hands.
You can drop off unwanted medications from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday at the following locations:
- Fisher Auto Parts parking lot in Staunton (beside Augusta Health Urgent Care, 851 Statler Blvd.)
- Augusta County Sheriff’s Office parking lot in Verona, 127 Lee Highway
- Neighborhood Walmart parking lot in Waynesboro, 1211 West Broad St.
Sharps, such as needles, syringes and other medical devices with sharp edges, will not be accepted. The event could end before 2 p.m. if capacity is reached.
Unused or expired prescription drugs are a public safety issue, leading to potential accidental poisoning, misuse and overdose. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.
More than six million Americans have misused controlled prescription drugs, according to a 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, and the majority of abused medications were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is organized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and occurs twice a year in the spring and fall. The service is free, and those who turn in drugs remain anonymous.
If you know someone who needs treatment for prescription drug abuse, you can locate treatment services in and around Staunton at https://findtreatment.samhsa.
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Chris Graham
