On September 25, 2010, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) will coordinate a 
collaborative effort with state and local law enforcement agencies to remove 
potentially dangerous controlled substances from our nation’s medicine cabinets. 
Collection activities will take place from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. at sites 
established throughout the country.  The National Take-Back Day provides an 
opportunity for the public to turn in expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical 
controlled substances and other medications for destruction.  These drugs are a 
potential source of supply for illegal use and an unacceptable risk to public health 
and safety. 

This one-day effort is intended to bring national focus to the issue of increasing 
pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse.  

The program is anonymous.  
Prescription and over the counter solid dosage medications, i.e. tablets and 
capsules accepted. 
Intra-venous solutions, injectables, and needles will not be accepted.
 
Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this 
initiative.
   
 
For a collection site near you, click on the link above. DEA advises to check back 
often as new collection sites will be added daily.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) issued a notice in the 
August 30, 2010 Federal Register announcing a proposed information collection 
project: ‘‘Understanding Patients’ Knowledge and Use of Acetaminophen—Phase 
2.’’ This project aims to: 

Estimate frequency of use, knowledge, and practices regarding 
use of OTC acetaminophen, and 
 

Evaluate potential determinants of misuse in community-based samples.
 

This information will be useful for policy makers to consider and to evaluate 
regulations and legislation with respect to the distribution, dispensing, and sales 
of OTC acetaminophen. The public is invited to comment on this proposed 
information collection by October 29, 2010. See link above for details.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is launching National Drug Facts 
Week, a new national awareness week designed to bring together teens and 
scientific experts to discuss the facts about drug abuse. NIDA is a component of 
the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human 
Services.  The week, which starts on Monday, November 8, encourages 
community-based question and answer events between teens and scientists. 
Events can be sponsored by a variety of organizations, including schools, 
community groups, sports clubs, book clubs, and local hospitals.  The week will 
also include the launch of the first annual National Drug IQ Challenge, a 20-
question multiple choice quiz that teens and adults can take to test their science 
based knowledge about drugs. See web link above for details.  NIDA provides an 
online toolkit that advises teens and their sponsoring organizations on to how 
create an event, how to publicize it, how to find a scientific expert, and where to 
find scientific information on drugs.  National Drug Facts Week is being supported 
by multiple federal agencies that share an interest in preventing teen drug abuse. 

For NCPIE educational materials that can support your National Drug Facts Week 
activities, see: “Not Worth the Risk – Even If It’s Legal,” at Click Here  

An FDA advisory panel will meet Sept. 14 to discuss whether dextromethorphan 
should be a controlled substance, reviewing the common cough suppressant 
because of increasing signs of abuse and injuries among adolescents. Non-medical 
use of dextromethorphan accounted for an estimated 7,988 emergency room visits 
in 2008, up from 4,634 in 2004, according to a U.S. government report.

Consumer medication information (CMI) – information about the prescriptions 
dispensed at retail pharmacies, has been examined through research commissioned 
by the FDA.  In a recently published study conducted by researchers from the 
University of Florida, the study concludes that the content, format, reading level, 
and length of CMI materials can negatively affect rates of comprehension and 
retention.  Researchers assessed the effectiveness of CMI collected through a 
hidden shopper collection process using criteria approved by FDA. Approximately 
60% of the CMI materials for select medications met the criteria. The study noted 
that directions for use and comprehensibility were two areas needing particular 
attention in order to increase the effectiveness of the information provided.