Over 12,000 medications gathered in Utah as part of Prescription Drug Take Back Day
May 2, 2024, 11:22 AM | Updated: 11:36 am
File photo.
SALT LAKE CITY — The 26th annual National Prescription Drug Take Back Day resulted in over 12,000 pounds of prescription drugs turned in.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division gathered unneeded, unwanted, or expired prescription medication donations on Saturday across multiple states.
People brought in their medications to locations all over Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana.
The states within the Rocky Mountain Division collected the following amounts:
Colorado: 10,017 pounds
Utah: 12,530 pounds
Wyoming: 935 pounds
Montana: 2,270 pounds
In all, 25,752 pounds were collected which amounts to nearly 13 tons.
What is done with the drugs they collect?
“After collection, bags are securely placed in boxes; the boxes are then loaded onto pallets; the pallets are loaded into large, contractor-driven semi-trucks. The tons of medications are then transported outside of the RMFD,” the organization stated in a release. “Once they arrive at the designated destruction destination, the drugs are incinerated in a safe and effective manner.”
The final Saturdays in April and October are designated Nation Prescription Drug Take Back Day. However, nearly 17,000 pharmacies and other locations accept unwanted or expired medications every day. To find a participating location near you, visit Every Day is Take Back Day | DEA.gov.
