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Crush the Crisis Prescription Drug Take Back Day – Oct. 25, 2025


Committed to giving our communities a healthier tomorrow

Join us on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025 and help "Crush the Crisis" by participating in a prescription drug take back event near you. View the locations list below for a complete listing of Crush the Crisis take back day event locations and times.

Together, we can help “Crush the Crisis”

As caregivers and members of the HCA Healthcare family, we are committed to helping bring awareness to the dangers of prescription drug addiction and the importance of proper disposal.

Take action by safely disposing of unused and expired medication

HCA Healthcare facilities across the nation will partner with local law enforcement in support of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in the fight against medication misuse and opioid addiction. Crush the Crisis events aim to educate our communities on the risk of medication misuse while providing a safe and anonymous way to dispose of medications that may be left over from previous procedures or other medical visits.

Facility staff, volunteers and uniformed law enforcement officers will be present at each collection site to help with the safe and anonymous disposal of unwanted medications.

To help keep members of our community safe, Crush the Crisis Prescription Drug Take Back Day events will adhere to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention safety protocols.

Accepted items*

  • Tablets or capsules in any packaging
  • Patches
  • Medicated ointments, lotions, or drops.
  • Liquid medications (in leak-proof containers)
  • Vape cartridges (without batteries)
  • Pet medications

*Accepted and not accepted medications may vary depending on local law enforcement guidance.

Not accepted items*

  • Needles
  • Syringes
  • Lancets
  • Illegal drugs

Locate a collection site near you.

List of collection sites and event details are subject to change. Please check back regularly for the latest information.

Alaska

California

Colorado

Florida

Georgia

Idaho

Indiana

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Missouri

Nevada

New Hampshire

North Carolina

South Carolina

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Virginia

In the news

Decorative

Prescription drug misuse is a public health crisis in the United States

Encouragingly, national prescription drug misuse is decreasing, projected to return to pre-COVID-19 levels. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were an estimated 80,391 drug overdose deaths in the United States during 2024 — decreasing 26.9% from 110,037 deaths estimated in 2023.

Read more from the CDC
A senior man looking at a bottle of prescription pills.

2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health

According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 8.6 million people misused prescription pain relievers, 4.7 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives and 3.9 million people misused prescription stimulants in 2023. The survey also showed that almost half of misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from the home medicine cabinet.

Read more about the survey
A Crush the Crisis sticker is held up to the camera by a woman who is slightly out of focus.

HCA Healthcare breaks record for medication collected during "Crush the Crisis" in 2024

During our sixth annual "Crush the Crisis" national prescription drug take back day, HCA Healthcare collected 21,137 pounds of unused or expired medications, surpassing last year’s totals and the most our organization has ever collected during the annual event. HCA Healthcare facilities across the country partnered with local law enforcement to safely dispose of an estimated 14.5 million doses of medication that were collected at more than 125 collection sites.

Learn more about our impact