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Time to Throw Out Your Old Prescriptions at CPO’s Medication 'Take-Back Day'

Federal Drug Administration
Prescription medications can be properly disposed of during the Spring Medication Take-Back Day on April 28.

Time for spring cleaning has arrived—and that includes your medicine cabinet.

Community Partnership of the Ozarks is teaming up with pharmacies and law enforcement to set up a free and safe way for people in the community to dispose of unused or expired medications.

The event will begin on Saturday at 10 a.m. and disposal locations will be open until 2 p.m.

Organizers say it's important to get rid of old medication so it doesn't end up in the wrong hands. Melody Salvey, one of the event organizers, says disposing of medications and keeping them locked away is crucial in eliminating the opportunity for someone to abuse them.

“People that have problems with medication abuse they say that’s what they do,” Salvey says. “They go to friends and relatives and look in their medicine cabinets. So, you don’t want to be a part of that, you don’t want to play into this opioid crisis that we have. We highly suggest that, if you do have medications at home, you keep them in a lockbox.”

Professionals also know how to dispose of foe drugs in a way that keeps them from contaminating the water supply.

The take-back locations will not accept inhalers, glass containers, or sharp objects like needles or scalpels.

Last fall over 4,700 pounds of medications were collected from 27 sites.

There are six drop-off locations in Springfield:

•Alps Pharmacy, 2650 W. Kearney

•Georges Pharmacy, 3650 E. Sunshine

•Mercy Smith Glynn Callaway, 3231 S. National 1st Floor

•Medicine Store, 1302 E. Sunshine

•Walgreens, 2681 W. Republic

•Lawrence Drug & Compounding Lab, 1454 E. Republic 

In addition to these locations, you can search by zip code for take-back events happening in other communities across Southwest Missouri at takebackday.dea.gov.