National Prescription Drug Take Back Day removes over 670,000 pounds of unused medications

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Thousands of pounds of unused prescription drugs are no longer on the shelves of Kentucky homes.

With the help of the Drug Enforcement Administration law enforcement, National Drug Take Back Day collected more than 670,000 pounds of unused prescription medications, according to a release by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Locally, the Louisville Field Division, which covers Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia, collected over 45,000 pounds between 273 sites, the release states. Tennessee collected the most in the division, with 27,746 pounds; followed by Kentucky, with 12,547 pounds; and West Virginia, with 4,779 pounds.

“I want to thank everyone who participated in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, as well as our partners who worked the collection sites,” said Erek Davodowich, acting special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Louisville Division. “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day’s continued success is a direct result of your actions.”

In its 15th year of the program, the DOJ says DEA partnered with more than 4,600 law enforcement partners at close to 5,000 sites nationwide. Since the program’s inception in 2010, National Prescription Take Back Day has removed more than 18.6 million pounds of unneeded medications from communities across the country.

According to a report published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a majority of people who use prescription medication for a nonmedical purpose obtained that medication from a family member or friend.

Beyond DEA’s Take Back Day, the community can regularly and safely dispose of unneeded medications at close to 17,000 pharmacies, hospitals, and businesses, working to help clean out medicine cabinets throughout the year. Those locations can be found here.