On Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Johnson County residents can properly dispose of unwanted or outdated pharmaceuticals and needles. The event will be held in the parking lot of the East Side Recycling Center at 2401 Scott Blvd. SE.

The event is organized nationally by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. The Iowa City Police Department, and the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center partner to offer the local event. 

The National Prescription Drug Take-Back addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Many Americans are not aware that medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the three classes of medication most commonly misused are opioids typically prescribed to treat pain, central nervous system depressants used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders, and stimulants typically prescribed to treat attention-deficit hyper activity disorder. Misuse of prescription drugs has led to an increase in emergency room visits, treatment admissions for prescription drug use disorders and overdose deaths over the past 15 years, the agency reported in June 2020.

Pharmaceuticals should be in the original containers with names blacked out or in plastic baggies with no personal patient information.

Can’t make it to the event? Find locations near you that accept unused or expired medications year-round here.