(the following is a news release from the US Department of Veterans Affairs)
PUEBLO, Colo. – Members of the public can dispose of expired prescriptions, including controlled substances, at PFC James Dunn VA Clinic’s Take Back Day on Friday, October 25th from 10am to 2pm.
VA Police at the PFC James Dunn VA Clinic, located at 4776 Eagleridge Circle in Pueblo, will have prescription drug drop off boxes at the information desk in the clinic lobby for disposal. Liquid medications need to be in original packaging, and sharps, needles and illicit substances cannot be accepted.
VA is aligning with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), welcoming non-Veterans to its health facilities across the nation for the purpose of safe and secure prescription drug disposal on designated dates during the year. Any member of the public is welcome, whether or not they have any affiliation to Veterans or VA.
“We are pleased to welcome non-Veteran members of our community to VA for our public VA Take Back Day. I encourage people to dispose of old and unused prescriptions in this safe and secure manner,” said Amir Farooqi, Interim Medical Center Director. “It’s important for each of us to clean out our medicine cabinets regularly and to dispose of medications to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our environment.”
This action is the result of legislation signed into law by President Biden on July 29, 2021. The Dispose Unused Medications and Prescription (DUMP) Opioids Act requires VA to establish designated time periods when Veterans and non-Veterans can dispose of opioids and other controlled substance medications at covered VA facilities. A covered facility is a VA medical facility with an onsite pharmacy and/or a physical location dedicated for law enforcement purposes.
Civilians who can’t participate in VA Take Back Days can use DEA’s Public Disposal Locations Search Tool to find year-round collection sites. DEA holds twice yearly Take Back Days, on the last Saturday in the months of April and October.
For more information, visit https://www.dea.gov/takebackday.
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