On Saturday, Oct. 24, police departments in Farmers Branch and Carrollton will join the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, offering a free, anonymous way for residents to dispose of unwanted or expired medicines.
How and where to participate
In Farmers Branch, officers will set up a collection point at the Walmart Neighborhood Market located at 13100 Josey Lane from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Carrollton’s police department will host its drop‑off site in the department’s south parking lot at 2025 E. Jackson Road during the same hours.
Residents may bring medications in their original containers or sealed bags. Personal information on prescription labels can be removed or blacked out before disposal, and no identification is required.
What can be turned in
The DEA accepts tablets, capsules, patches, and other prescription forms. Liquid medications must be securely sealed in their original containers. Vitamins, syringes, needles, illegal drugs, and other prohibited items will not be collected.
Why the take‑back matters
Unused medicines left in home cabinets pose serious risks. Children can accidentally ingest them, and prescription opioids and other controlled substances are vulnerable to misuse and addiction. Proper disposal also prevents drugs from entering waterways through household drains, protecting the environment.
Since the program began in 2010, more than 21 million pounds of medications have been collected nationwide, according to the DEA. This year’s event marks the 31st National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, with over 4,400 collection sites planned across the country.
Year‑round disposal options
For those unable to attend the Saturday event, both cities maintain permanent medication disposal boxes. The Farmers Branch Police Department’s box is located in the lobby of the Justice Center at 3723 Valley View Lane, open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. It accepts prescription and over‑the‑counter pills and capsules in sealed containers or bags.
Carrollton’s year‑round box sits in the jail lobby at 2001 E. Jackson Road and accepts prescription pills, patches, ointments, over‑the‑counter medicines, vitamins, and certain pet medications. Liquids, needles, inhalers, and aerosols are not accepted.
Finding additional sites
Residents can locate other authorized collection sites, including pharmacies and other facilities, by visiting www.DEATakeBack.com. The DEA encourages households to regularly review their medicine cabinets and remove any drugs that are expired or no longer needed.
Original reporting: Branch Herald (Carrollton / Farmers Branch, local news) — read the source article.
