Medical City Healthcare Hospitals join with DEA for Drug Take Back Events

Dallas, Texas — Five Medical City Healthcare hospitals are participating in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 26. The hospitals will join local law enforcement agencies in providing the community an opportunity to safely and anonymously dispose of prescription medications before they fall into the wrong hands.

Last year – for the first time since 2018 – U.S. drug overdose deaths declined, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, prescription drug misuse remains a public health crisis in the United States. In Texas, CDC provisional numbers indicate that drug overdose deaths also declined slightly from April 2023 to April 2024.

Community members are invited to dispose of unused or expired prescription or over-the-counter medications, free of charge, at convenient drive-thru locations on Oct. 26 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm at:

• Medical City Arlington (Pavilion I entrance)
  3301 Matlock Road, Arlington, TX 76015
• Medical City Dallas (Building A2 entrance)
  7777 Forest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230
• Medical City Denton (Professional building entrance)
  3537 S. I-35E, Denton, TX 76210
• Medical City Las Colinas (Main entrance)
  6800 N. MacArthur Blvd, Irving, TX 75039
• McKinney Police Department (with Medical City McKinney)
  2200 Taylor Burk Dr, McKinney, TX 75071

“By offering a safe and anonymous way to dispose of medications properly, we help reduce the risk of misuse and prevent potential harm,” says Medical City Healthcare Chief Medical Officer Joseph Parra, MD. “As a leading healthcare provider, we want to help educate our community and reduce opioid and other drug abuse as part of our ongoing commitment to creating healthier tomorrows for North Texans.”

Law enforcement officers from the Arlington, Dallas, Denton, Irving and McKinney police departments will collect any unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications on location. Ointments, lotions, drops, liquid medication in leak-proof containers, vape cartridges without batteries and pet medication will also be accepted. Needles, syringes, lancets and illegal drugs will not be accepted. 

Medical City Healthcare is participating in the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day as part of its and HCA Healthcare’s year-round “Crush the Crisis” program. Additionally, permanent drug take back boxes are located at 12 Medical City Healthcare hospitals. The permanent boxes are compliant with DEA regulations and can be accessed free of charge, any day of the year – not just on a specific drug take back day.

Learn more about Medical City Healthcare’s drug take back program and find the location of a permanent drug take back box that is part of its ongoing efforts to “Crush the Crisis,”