AMA urges participation in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

CHICAGO — The American Medical Association (AMA) is strongly supporting National Prescription Drug Take Back Day and urges patients across the country to participate on Saturday, April 28. The AMA urges anyone who has unused, unwanted, and expired prescription medications to drop them off at one of the thousands of drop-off sites. The Drug Enforcement Administration website and Google have locators for the closest sites to where patients live. Last year, the DEA reported that 456 tons of prescriptions were turned in.

The AMA is also reminding physicians of the recommendations developed by the AMA Opioid Task Force to help them educate their patients on the safe use, storage, and disposal of prescription opioids. These recommendations are part of the task force’s ongoing efforts to empower and enable physicians to take steps that can help reverse the nation’s opioid epidemic. More information can be found at www.end-opioid-epidemic.org/storage-and-disposal.