The next prescription drug takeback day is set for this weekend.

On Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation Tribal Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 17th opportunity in nine years to prevent prescription drug abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Bring your pills for disposal to Fountain Hills Town Hall, located at 16705 E. Avenue of the Fountains, or the Fort McDowell Public Safety building, located at 10755 N. Fort McDowell Rd. Liquids, needles or sharps are not allowed to be turned in, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. For those who do not wish to drop off prescription bottles, simply pour your pills into a Ziploc bag and head to one of the drop-off points.

According to organizers, this initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse.

Rates of prescription drug abuse in Arizona are notably high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Arizonans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines – flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash – both pose potential safety and health hazards.

For more information about preventing prescription drug abuse, go to fhcoalition.org. For those unable to make it to the official event, a permanent drop-off box for prescription drugs is located near the MCSO office within the Fountain Hills Community Center and can be accessed year-round during normal business hours.