Clean Out Your Medicine Cabinet: Oct. 26 is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day Published Oct. 18, 2013 By TRICARE.mil FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) is sponsoring its semiannual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Take-Back Day collection sites give TRICARE beneficiaries an easy way to safely dispose of excess prescription drugs that might otherwise be to misused or abused, or cause environmental contamination. According to the 2011 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Survey on Drug Use and Health, twice as many Americans regularly abused prescription drugs than the number of those who regularly used cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin and inhalants combined. The same study revealed more than 70 percent of people abusing prescription pain relievers got them through friends or relatives, a statistic that includes raiding the family medicine cabinet. The DEA take back program addresses these vital public safety and health issues. During the Take-Back Day in April 2013, more than 742,000 pounds (371 tons) of unneeded prescription medications were collected at more than 5,800 locations. The last six DEA Take-Back days have collected more than 2.8 million pounds of prescription medications and removed them from circulation. Prescription and over-the-counter solid dosage medications, i.e., tablets and capsules are accepted. Intra-venous solutions, injectable medications and needles will not be accepted. Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this program. To find a collection site click the "Locate collection sites" link at www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback. Many military installations participate in this event, including Fort Hood, Texas; Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.; the Naval Medical Center in San Diego and Fort Benning, Ga.