Know your options for safe storage and disposal of prescription and over the counter medications

Posted by benniefinch on April 17th, 2026 Posted in: Weekly Newsletter

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Saturday, April 25^th is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, but any day is a good day to dispose of expired, unwanted, or unused medications. In this blog post, learn about national resources as well as New England specific resources in support of safe medication storage and disposal.

Safe Storage

Keeping all medications stored securely can help prevent accidental or intentional misuse of prescription and over the counter medications. Keep in mind that vitamins and supplements should also be kept out of reach and sight of children and pets (CDC, 2024).

• Keep Your Kids Safe: Put Medicines and Supplements, Including Gummies, Up and Away | Blogs | CDC
• Up and Away Campaign Resources | Medication Safety | CDC
• Properly Store Medications to Keep Your Pet Safe | FDA

Medications can also be accessed by youth, guests, or others who visit your home. There are a number of options to help with safe storage such as lock bags, lock boxes, and safes.

Safe Medication Storage | Drug Free CT

Ready to dispose of medications?

Some options include drug take back days, locked drug drop boxes, mail-back programs and more (FDA, 2025).

• Where and How to Dispose of Unused Medicines | FDA
• Take ‘em Back: The Importance of Proper Prescription Drug Disposal | Public Libraries Online
• How and when to get rid of unused medicines: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
• Prescription Drug Disposal | Vermont Department of Health

Local Resources

Your state may offer free lock boxes or bags to support safe storage and safe disposal. This is not an exhaustive list, but to help you get started:

• Connecticut Safe Medication Storage | Drug Free CT and Safe Disposal of Medication | Drug Free CT
• Maine SPR – SRXDSD | Healthy Acadia
• Massachusetts Safely Dispose of Prescription Drugs | Mass.gov and Keep prescription medications out of reach | Mass.gov
• New Hampshire State of New Hampshire Drug Drop Box Locations | NH Department of Environmental Services
• New York Safe Medication Disposal For Households | NYSDEC
• Rhode Island Campaigns | Rhode Island Regional Prevention Coalitions
• Vermont Prescription Drug Disposal | Vermont Department of Health also includes other resources such as lock bags

 

Want to build awareness about substance use disorder in your library or organization?

If you are located in Region 7, you can check out a NNLM Region 7 Graphic Medicine Book Club Kits such as Hey Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

This Region 7 Presents Building Recovery through Community video and blog post have information about Recovery Cafes, Recovery Coaching, and the Read to Recovery Program.

The NNLM Reading Club has also assembled a list of books you might consider when hosting a book discussion. Each book has marketing resources and a discussion guide. The Substance Use Disorder | NNLM page has curated health information resources to support the discussion.