This Saturday is National Drug Take Back Day and the DEA is urging people to get rid of unused and expired prescription medications. The Drug Enforcement Agency sets both a spring and fall takeback day for people to get rid of their old medications. During the last spring takeback day, law enforcement agencies collected 335 tons of pills nationwide. Ohio had the 3rd highest amount, behind Wisconsin and Texas, collecting more than 41 tons of old prescription medication.

August 28, 2024, Press Release from AARP Ohio: COLUMBUS, Ohio-Today, AARP released a report that shows an estimated 127,193 of Ohioans on Medicare prescription drug plans will see savings thanks to a new out-of-pocket cap that starts January 1, 2025. The savings are made possible by a provision in the 2022 prescription drug law that AARP championed which caps out-of-pocket prescription drug costs every year, beginning at $2,000 next year, for America’s 56 million Medicare drug plan enrollees.

Residents were invited to bring in old medications to dispose of properly at the sheriff’s office. Tablets, capsules, patches, and other prescription drugs were accepted as well as old e-cigarettes.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is tomorrow(10/26/19) and the Drug Enforcement Administration is urging people to turn in their unused prescription drugs. According to the DEA, last year nearly 10 million Americans abused controlled prescription drugs and most were taken from the medicine cabinet of family or friends. Ohio senators are stressing the importance of getting rid of prescription drugs, noting that 4 out of 5 people addicted to opioids started with prescribed drugs.