Military Drug Take Back Program Offers Safe Drug Disposal Published Sept. 12, 2016 By TRICARE Staff TRICARE Staff FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Excess prescription and over-the-counter drugs can pose a serious risk in your home. The Military Health System (MHS) is helping the military community fight back against the dangers of unneeded, unused and expired drugs by offering Drug Take Back at military pharmacies in the U.S. “Proper disposal of unneeded, unused and expired drugs lowers the risk of misuse and environmental contamination,” said Dr. George Jones, chief of Pharmacy Operations at the DHA. “The MHS Drug Take Back program accepts both prescription and over-the-counter drugs, so this is the time to clean out your medicine cabinet.” Military pharmacies in the U.S. offer two Drug Take Back options. Most pharmacies have fixed containers in place where you can drop off your excess drugs. Others offer envelopes you can take home, fill with your drugs, and then mail in. Some have both. You can’t dispose of illegal drugs at MHS Drug Take Back locations. To find a Drug Take Back location near you, visit www.tricare.mil/MTF. “Holding onto drugs past their useful life is a bad idea,” said Jones. “It could be a child accidently ingesting an over-the-counter sleep aid, or an addict finding expired pain killers. Don’t take the risk of having these drugs in your home once you don’t need them anymore.” For more information on the Military Health System’s Drug Take Back efforts, visit www.tricare.mil/drugtakeback.