2026 Rhode Island
Prescription Drug Take-Back Day
Turn in unneeded, expired, or unused medications for safe, environmentally sound disposal. Prevent medication misuse and protect our Narragansett Bay watershed.
Find a Disposal Site Near You
Search by town, facility name, address, or zip code. Most police departments also have permanent year-round drop boxes.
No disposal locations match your search
Try clearing your filters or searching for a nearby Rhode Island municipality.
What Can You Drop Off?
Safe disposal protects children, pets, loved ones, and waterways. Review what is accepted at all take-back kiosks.
Accepted Items
Accepted in any condition- Prescription medicines: Pills, capsules, caplets, and tablets.
- Over-the-counter medications: Cold & flu, pain relief, sleep aids, and allergy medicine.
- Medicated patches: Fentanyl, pain patches, nicotine, hormone patches.
- Pet medications: Prescription vet medicines and ointments.
- Vitamins, ointments & samples: Topical creams in original packaging.
Prohibited Items
Do not deposit in collection boxes- Sharps & needles: Syringes, lancets, and autoinjectors (e.g. EpiPens).
- Illegal / Illicit substances: Schedule 1 illicit street drugs.
- Inhalers & aerosols: Pressurized canisters (explosion risk).
- Hazardous & biohazard materials: Chemotherapy waste, iodine, mercury thermometers.
- Hydrogen peroxide & liquids in bulk: Unsealed or leaky chemical bottles.
Privacy Tip: You may cross out or scratch off your personal prescription labels with a permanent marker, or transfer pills directly into a sealable zip bag before dropping them into the disposal receptacle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this service truly free and anonymous?
Yes. The DEA National Take Back Day and Rhode Island public health disposal programs are completely free and 100% anonymous. No identification is requested, no questions will be asked, and you can drop medications directly into collection kiosk bins without speaking to officers or pharmacy staff.
Why can't I just flush medications down the toilet or throw them in the trash?
Flushing drugs down the toilet or pouring them down drains causes active pharmaceutical chemicals to pass through wastewater treatment plants into rivers, streams, and Narragansett Bay, harming marine life and contaminating drinking supplies. Discarding them in domestic trash poses risks of accidental poisoning for pets and unauthorized retrieval.
What if I cannot make it on Saturday, October 24?
Many Rhode Island municipal police department lobbies and selected 24-hour retail pharmacies maintain secure permanent collection lock-boxes available 24/7, 365 days a year. Check the site directory above for permanent locations across the state.
How do I dispose of used syringes or needles (sharps)?
Sharps cannot be dropped into standard take-back bins due to hazard regulations. Place used sharps in an FDA-cleared sharps container or heavy-duty plastic bottle (like a detergent bottle), seal tightly with duct tape, label "DO NOT RECYCLE," and follow Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation (RIRRC) household guidelines.
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