Once again, the Plano Police Department is collaborating with the Drug Enforcement Agency to eliminate potentially hazardous controlled substances from the country's medicine cabinets.
Dispose of expired prescription and over-the-counter medications from your household on Saturday, April 27, 2024, by participating in the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back event. Safely drop off old medications at designated locations throughout North Texas.
This effort not only prevents increased pill abuse and theft but also offers a secure method to dispose of expired, unwanted or unused pharmaceuticals. Rather than flushing unused medicine down the toilet or discarding them, which pose safety and health risks, make use of the National Drug Take Back initiative.
The Plano Police Department will host several collection sites from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at these locations:
- Plano Senior High School – 2200 Independence Parkway
- Clark High School – 523 Spring Creek Parkway
- Plano East Senior High School – 3000 Los Rios Boulevard
- Plano West Senior High School – 5601 West Parker Road
The program offers free and anonymous participation. Designated locations will accept prescription and over-the-counter solid dosage medications (such as tablets and capsules) but do not take intra-venous solutions, injectables, inhalers or needles. It's important to note that illicit substances like marijuana or methamphetamines are not included in this initiative.
In Oct. 2023, the nation cleared out its medicine cabinets to properly dispose of outdated, unwanted and expired medications. Across the U.S., the DEA and its law enforcement allies gathered 599,897 pounds of unnecessary medications at 4,675 collection points. For over ten years, DEA's National Prescription Take Back Day has eliminated nearly 17.9 million pounds of unnecessary medications from communities nationwide.
A report released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration revealed that a significant portion of individuals who misuse prescription drugs acquire them from family members or friends. Clearing out unneeded medications from households can mitigate scenarios such as improper dosing, unauthorized use of prescriptions and misuse for non-medical purposes to achieve euphoric effects instead of therapeutic benefits.
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