The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) recently held its 24th Prescription Drug Take-Back Day event. Organized nationally by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is operated locally by DPH. The twice-a-year event (April and October) aims to reduce the risk of prescription medications being diverted for misuse and has resulted in 114,470 pounds of medication being collected in Delaware since 2010. Properly discarding unused medications through this event is an important ongoing activity to address the nationwide opioid epidemic. Doing so reduces the risk of addiction by keeping prescription medications out of the hands of people who may misuse, abuse or divert them, and helps reduce the risk of drug overdoses.
At the spring 2023 event, held April 22, Delawareans discarded their expired or unused medications at locations statewide. A total of 4,629 pounds of medications were collected from 22 Delaware locations, an increase from last fall’s 4,200 pounds. Disposal for sharps and needles was available at the Laurel, Middletown, Milton and Wilmington Police Departments, where over 119 pounds of sharps were collected. The safest way to dispose of needles is to use a designated sharps disposal container, which is delivered to incinerators to avoid accidental exposure.