Drug Take Back Day at Community Pharmacies is Important Public Health Service
A majority of donors said that environmental concerns were an extremely important reason to practice safe medication disposal.
Drug Take Back Day at community pharmacies is an important public health service that can provide benefits beyond the disposal of controlled substances, according to research published in JAPhA Practice Innovations.1 Investigators said that the findings also highlight opportunities for patient education and engagement in the community pharmacy setting.
Drug Take Back Day at Community Pharmacies Are Important Public Health Service / stokkete - stock.adobe.com
Drug Take Back Day was started by the Drug Enforcement Administration in 2010 to provide a safe and responsible way to dispose of prescription drugs. In its first year, the public turned in 242000 pounds of prescription drugs at over 4000 sites across the country.2 In 2023, that rose to nearly 600000 pounds of prescription drugs given back at 4675 sites in all 50 states. In total, the program has so far removed around 18 million pounds of unneeded medications.3
“According to annual trend reports from the past few decades, both the number of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications in the US are increasing,” the authors wrote. “The increase in medication exposure may lead to excess medications in households, which is an overlooked yet growing public health issue. When maintained in households, these medications are a safety hazard associated with diversion, misuse, overdose, and accidental poisoning.”
Investigators from the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy and Kroger Health conducted a study to assess the quantity and characteristics of medications collected at Drug Take Back Day sites, as well as assess donor knowledge and attitudes around safe medication disposal. The multisite cross-sectional study included 2 large chain pharmacy locations in the greater Richmond area of Virginia, with 1 being in a suburban setting and the other in an urban setting near a university campus.
At each site, a pharmacist was there to gather data and screen and collect medications. Items collected included pills, creams, gels, ointments, lotions, patches, liquids in their original containers, e-cigarettes or vaping devices with batteries removed, and e-cigarette or vaping cartridges or pods. Donors who were 18 years or older were also eligible to participate in a survey that gathered information on demographics, attitudes toward and knowledge of safe medication disposal, and characteristics of medications disposed.
A total of 67.8 and 600.9 pounds of medications were collected at the urban and suburban sites, respectively. Approximately 311 different types of medications were collected, with the most being supplements or vitamins, followed by analgesics and cardiovascular medications. Most analgesics were non-controlled prescription medications, with 23% being opioids and another 23% being OTC medications.
Of the 40 donors who completed the survey, 80% said that environmental concerns were an extremely important reason to practice safe medication disposal. Donors also said that poison prevention, diversion prevention, and fear of misuse were extremely important factors. Most of the respondents said that Drug Take Back Day was their disposal method of choice and 70% disposed of 10 or more medications. Additionally, the most commonly reported reason for medication accumulation was because the patient had died, followed by quantity exceeded need, discontinued by patient, and switched medications.
“Results suggest that donors find more value in Drug Take Back Day’s benefits beyond the scope of controlled substances, warranting further research to evaluate it as a public health service,” the authors concluded. “Given the greater perceived importance of environmental concerns compared to that of other motivations, including diversion prevention and fear of addiction, it may be of interest to conduct more ecological studies on Drug Take Back Day.”
Are you ready to elevate your pharmacy practice? Sign up today for our free Drug Topics newsletter and get the latest drug information, industry trends, and patient care tips, straight to your inbox.
References
1. Pangilinan K, McDaniel J, Nadpara P, et al. Impact of a Drug Take Back Day Event at a Large Chain Community Pharmacy. JAPhA Practice Innovations. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japhpi.2025.100042
2. American Public Overwhelmingly Responds to DEA Prescription Drug Take-Back Effort. News Release. DEA. October 5, 2010. Accessed April 3, 2025. https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/divisions/hq/2010/pr100510p.html
3. DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Day Removes Almost 600,000 Pounds of Unneeded Prescription Medications Across the Country. News Release. DEA. November 7, 2023. Accessed April 3, 2025. https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2023/11/07/deas-national-prescription-drug-take-day-removes-almost-600000-pounds
How PBMs Impede Pharmacists’ Ability to Perform Clinical Services | APhA 2025
March 31st 2025Antonio Ciaccia, President of 3 Axis Advisors, led a discussion on pharmacy benefit manager reform and how the inability to pass legislation has led to increased financial hardships in community pharmacy.
