Got Unused Prescription Medications? Take-Back Event Oct. 23 at MPD Parking Lot

The state of Hawaiʻi is participating in the US Drug Enforcement Administration’s 21st national prescription drug take-back event on Saturday, Oct. 23.

Everyone is encouraged to bring their expired or unused prescription medications to collection sites. You do not need to remove the labels or take the pills out of its container. Simply toss them in a disposable bag and drop them off at a drive-thru location. This service is free and anonymous – no questions asked. Tablets, capsules, liquids and other forms of medication will be accepted. Do not include any syringes; they will not be accepted.

“To curb the national and local opioid epidemic, we are pleased to continue our partnership with DEA and NED [Narcotics Enforcement Division],” Hawaiʻi Attorney General Clare E. Connors said. “National Prescription Drug Take Back Day not only helps keep Hawaiʻi’s children safe from accidental poisoning and abuse, it keeps our communities healthy by providing a way to prevent these drugs from entering the environment.” 

During the 12 years Hawaiʻi has participated in the national take-back event, more than 53,000 pounds of prescription medications was collected.

All drive-thru take-back events take place on Oct. 23 from 10 am to 2 pm. Here are the locations:

Maui:

• Maui Police Department parking lot, 55 Mahalani Street, Wailuku

Oʻahu:

• Fire Station 18 Kailua parking lot, 211 Kuulei Road, Kailua
• Hawaii State Capitol, Beretania Street drive-thru, 415 S. Beretania Street, Honolulu
• Kahala Mall parking lot near corner of Kilauea and Waialae Avenues, 4211 Waialae Avenue, Honolulu
• Pearl City Police Station parking lot, 1100 Waimano Home Rd., Pearl City

Big Island:

• Ka Waena Lapa’au Medical Complex, upper parking lot at corner of Ponahawai and Komohana streets, 670 Ponahawai Street, Hilo
• Hawaiʻi Police Department Kona Police Station (inside lobby), 74-0611 Hale Makai Place, Kailua-Kona

Kauaʻi:

• Kauaʻi Police Department parking lot, 3990 Kaana Street, Lihue

Leslie Tomaich, DEA Honolulu District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge, said it is important to properly dispose of unused prescription drugs because “these drugs too often find their way into the wrong hands, which is dangerous and often tragic.”

Unused or expired medicine should be properly disposed of when no longer needed for which it was prescribed.

• Medicines may lose their effectiveness after the expiration date.
• Improper use of prescription drugs can be as dangerous as illegal drug use.
• Having unused or expired medicine in your home increases the risk of accidental poisoning. Homes where children or the elderly live are especially vulnerable to this danger.
• People may mistake one type of medicine for another; or children may mistake medicine for candy.

Expired medicine should not be thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet. Proper disposal helps reduce the risk of prescription drugs entering the human water supply or potentially harming aquatic life. Additional information can be found at dea.gov.

For a list of designated collection sites, visit ag.hawaii.gov or  takebackday.dea.gov. For more information, call 1-808-541-1930.

If you are unable to participate in the National Take Back Initiative, a list of drug take back drop box locations is available at hawaiiopioid.org

The Department of the Attorney General and Department of Public Safety’s Narcotics Enforcement Division (NED) are working in partnership with the US Drug Enforcement Administration on the take-back event.