VCU Hosts Drug Take Back Day in Richmond

The university initiative encourages residents to safely dispose of unused medications during National Pharmacy Week.

Updated on Oct. 24, 2026 in Substance Abuse

VCU Hosts Drug Take Back Day in Richmond

Live Poll

Do you regularly check your home cabinets and dispose of unused or expired medications?

Virginia Commonwealth University Police and the School of Pharmacy hosted a drug take-back event at Monroe Park. Community members brought unused and unwanted medications to the site for safe disposal.

Why it matters

This initiative promotes medication safety and community wellness by reducing the availability of old prescriptions. Removing unused drugs from households helps prevent misuse and accidental ingestion.

VCU Health pharmacies currently maintain 6 permanent self-serve take-back boxes across their network. These locations include the VCU Medical Center Gateway Building, Ambulatory Care Center, Childrens Hospital of Richmond, Short Pump Pavilion, South Richmond Pharmacy, and Stony Point Pharmacy.

The players

Virginia Commonwealth University Police

The campus law enforcement agency provides security and safety services for the university and surrounding Richmond community.

VCU School of Pharmacy

This academic institution trains pharmacy students and leads community health outreach programs within the university system.

VCU Health

This health system operates a network of medical facilities and pharmacies throughout the region.

The details

The event allowed local residents to turn over excess medication to campus officials for secure handling. Beyond the temporary collection point at Monroe Park, VCU Health maintains permanent disposal infrastructure to support ongoing public access.

National Pharmacy Week occurred from Oct. 18 to 24, 2026.
The Drug Take Back Day event took place on October 24, 2026.
The awareness initiatives were part of American Pharmacists Month in October 2026.

Health Landscape

The event aligns with broader public health strategies to reduce pharmaceutical waste and prevent substance misuse. It follows the pattern set by the DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back Day by providing accessible, safe disposal channels for local populations.

Residents can utilize the 6 permanent VCU Health take-back boxes year-round to clear out their medicine cabinets. This practice prevents the accidental ingestion of expired drugs and limits the potential for household prescription misuse.

The takeaway

Safely disposing of unused medications is a simple step to improve household safety and community health. Readers should inventory their medicine cabinets periodically to remove expired or unnecessary substances.