A photo of three orange pill bottles laying on their sides with pills spilling out from them.

Oct. 24, 2024

Drug Take Back Day event for the public is set for Saturday at VCU

VCU Police and School of Pharmacy students will lead the event, which ensures and highlights the proper disposal of medication.

More than 107,000 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Disposing of unused or unwanted medications at events like this Saturday's Drug Take Back Day on The Compass can help prevent medication misuse, opioid use disorder and opioid overdose. (Getty Images)
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By Mary Kate Brogan
School of Pharmacy

Virginia Commonwealth University Police and VCU School of Pharmacy students invite members of the public to bring their unused and unwanted medications to a Drug Take Back Day event this week.

The event will take place Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on The Compass (199 N. Linden St.) – an outdoor plaza in the center of VCU’s Monroe Park Campus near the Shafer Dining Center and James Branch Cabell Library. This event aligns with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

Students in VCU’s new B.S. in pharmaceutical sciences program and Pharm.D. students in VCU’s American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists student organization will be present to educate the community on the importance of properly disposing of medications and how they can dispose of medications at home. The students will share information about substance use disorders and will lead demonstrations on the use of naloxone, an emergency medication used for reversing an opioid overdose.

In addition to education, the goal of this event is to provide people a safe place to dispose of medications. People are also encouraged to bring any vapes or cigarettes they may wish to dispose of.

Metered street parking and paid parking at VCU’s West Main Street Parking Deck are available for community members.