PGPD Take Back Day collects over 650 pounds of medications

More than 650 pounds of prescription medication were safely disposed of at Prince George’s County Police Department stations, a haul that shows how much leftover medicine can sit inside local homes long after the prescription is filled.

Officials said the collection was part of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, a twice-yearly effort held on the last Saturday of April and October. Prince George’s County describes the program as a safe, convenient and anonymous way to get rid of unused or expired prescription drugs, with some events also accepting vapes and electronic smoking devices through drive-through drop-off sites.

The timing matters because old medications are one of the most common public-safety risks hiding in plain sight. Pills left in bathroom cabinets, kitchen drawers and bedroom nightstands can be misused, stolen or accidentally taken by children or pets. County health officials and police have used Take Back Day to push residents to clear out those supplies before they become a problem.

The local collection also fit into a broader national push. The Drug Enforcement Administration said the 30th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day was scheduled for April 25, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at nearly 4,200 locations nationwide, including more than 270 collection sites across the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. The agency said its Take Back Day program has removed more than 20 million pounds of unwanted medications since 2010.

Nationwide results from the October 25, 2025 event showed the scale of the effort. DEA said 4,317 collection sites and 4,263 law enforcement agencies gathered 571,054 pounds of unneeded and expired medications. That kind of turnout, officials say, is what makes the program one of the simplest ways to reduce the chance that prescriptions end up in the wrong hands.

Prince George’s County has also expanded some Take Back Day events beyond drop-off alone. County materials from 2025 said residents could get free naloxone training and nasal spray, health screenings, support services, tobacco quit support and medication storage lock boxes while supplies lasted.

The county has one of the largest policing footprints in the state. The Prince George’s County Police Department says it is the fourth largest law enforcement agency in Maryland, with more than 1,500 officers and 300 civilians serving nearly 900,000 residents and business owners. The next countywide Take Back Day will come on the last Saturday in October, giving residents another chance to clear out cabinets and cut the risk before those pills become a threat.