Non-Veterans can dispose of unused medications on VA Take Back Days

The Rockford VA Clinic will hold their take back day at 816 Featherstone Road in Rockford, IL on Friday, October 28th from 10am to 2pm.

The William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital will host their take back day on Saturday, October 29th from 10am to 2pm at 2500 Overlook Terrace in Madison, WI.

VA is aligning with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), welcoming non-Veterans to its health facilities across the nation for the purpose of safe and secure drug disposal on designated dates during the year. Any member of the public is welcome, whether or not they have any affiliation to Veterans or VA.

At both locations, VA staff will be handing out self-addressed, postage paid envelopes, that can be used by the public to send their medications back to the DEA for proper disposal. The DEA mail-back program will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other solid forms of prescription drugs. Liquids (including intravenous solutions), syringes and other sharps, and illicit drugs will not be accepted at this event.

This action is the result of legislation signed into law by President Biden on July 29, 2021. The Dispose Unused Medications and Prescription (DUMP) Opioids Act requires VA to establish designated time periods when Veterans and non-Veterans can dispose of opioids and other controlled substance medications at covered VA facilities. A covered facility is a VA medical facility with an onsite pharmacy and/or a physical location dedicated for law enforcement purposes.

Civilians who can’t participate in VA Medication Take Back Days can use DEA’s Public Disposal Locations Search Tool to find year-round collection sites. The DEA holds Take Back Days twice yearly on the last Saturday in the months of April and October.  

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 and abused or illegally sold. If they are flushed, they can contaminate the water supply. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.

Veterans enrolled for VA care can bring their expired and unused medications to their VA site of care for disposal any time by contacting their local VA Police Service or VA Pharmacy.

For more information, contact Capt. Kelly Bossart with the Madison VA Police at 608-280-7270.

The William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital and Clinics serve 95,000 Veterans across 19 counties in Wisconsin & Illinois. For more information about the Madison VA Hospital, visit www.madison.va.gov or www.facebook.com/MadisonVAHospital and subscribe to our newsletters.

Wendy Wyman, Public Affairs Specialist

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