Ellis County Sheriff's Office
The Ellis County Sheriff's Office is partnering with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to participate in the 31st National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, October 24, 2026.
This nationwide initiative provides residents with a safe, convenient, and responsible way to dispose of old, unused, unwanted, or expired prescription medications.
The Ellis County Sheriff's Office will host a collection site in the north parking lot of the Ellis County Law Enforcement Center, located at 105 W. 12th Street in Hays, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The service is free, anonymous, and open to the public.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is designed to help prevent prescription drug misuse, accidental poisonings, and overdoses by removing potentially dangerous medications from homes.
Prescription medications that are no longer needed can pose serious risks, particularly when they fall into the hands of children or individuals for whom they were not prescribed.
According to the DEA, more than 21 million pounds of unwanted medications have been collected nationwide since the program began in 2010. During the most recent event in April 2026, more than 642,000 pounds of medications were collected through participating collection sites across the country.
Residents are encouraged to take a few minutes to clean out their medicine cabinets and bring medications they no longer need to the collection site. Tablets, capsules, patches, and other prescription medications will be accepted. Liquid medications must be securely sealed in their original containers.
Syringes, needles, other sharps, and illegal drugs will not be accepted.
Proper disposal of unused medications helps protect families, reduces opportunities for prescription drug misuse, and ensures medications are disposed of through an appropriate collection program rather than being left unsecured in homes.
The Ellis County Sheriff's Office encourages all residents of Ellis County and surrounding communities to take advantage of this opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted prescription medications and help make our community safer.
For additional information about National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, visit www.DEATakeBack.com.