COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolinians with old or unneeded prescriptions in the medicine cabinet will have a free, no-questions way to get rid of them on Saturday, Oct. 24, during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Drop-off hours are 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., and the state Department of Public Health is urging residents to take part.
The event is run twice a year by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, usually on the last Saturday in April and October. Temporary drop-off points are staffed by law enforcement, and residents can find the nearest one with the DEA’s online locator by entering a ZIP code or a city and state.
Sites accept pills, tablets, capsules, patches and other solid prescription medications. Workers will not take liquids, needles or other sharps, vapes and their cartridges, or illegal drugs.
Health officials tie the drive to the state’s overdose numbers. South Carolina recorded 1,481 overdose deaths in 2024, the latest full year of data, down 31.3% from 2,157 the year before. Even so, 1,166 of the 2024 deaths involved prescription drugs, and federal figures show close to half of misused prescription drugs come from family members and friends, often straight out of a home medicine cabinet.
The spring collection in April brought in 4,905 pounds of unwanted or expired medications at 47 drop-off sites across South Carolina.
The state Department of Environmental Services adds another reason to use the drop-off sites: flushing pills or pouring them down the sink can send drug compounds through wastewater plants, which are not built to filter out every medication, and into rivers and lakes where they can affect water quality and aquatic life.
People who miss Saturday’s event still have options. DEA-authorized collectors, including some pharmacies and law enforcement offices, keep year-round drop boxes for unwanted medicine.
Filed under: Lexington SC Health News
