On October 25, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System will participate in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.

On October 25, you can safely dispose of unused medications at two Valley locations – Harlingen Health Care Clinic, 2601 Veterans Drive; and McAllen VA Outpatient Clinic, 901 E. Hackberry Ave. You can also drop off in Laredo at Laredo Outpatient Clinic, 4602 N. Bartlett Ave., and in Corpus at Corpus Christi Specialty Clinic, 205 Enterprize Parkway.

During National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, all members of the community, not only Veterans, are encouraged to drop off their old, unused, or expired prescription and over-the-counter drugs, including controlled substance prescription medications.

In the wrong hands, legal medications can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision. The non-medical use of prescription drugs is the second-most common form of drug abuse in America.

Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved then abused or illegally sold. If flushed, they can contaminate the water supply.
If individuals are unable to take advantage of this event, there are regular opportunities to safely dispose of unneeded medications at pharmacies, hospitals, and police departments. Use the DEA’s Public Disposal Locations Search Tool (https://apps.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubdispsearch/spring/main?execution=e2s1) to locate year-round authorized collection locations.
For information about this and future VA events, follow VA Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System on Facebook.