Drop off old or unused medications from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, outside Pavilion 1 at Reston Hospital Center. What is accepted and what is not.

Reston residents can drop off unused or expired medications Saturday at Reston Hospital Center, one of nine collection sites across Fairfax County for National Drug Take Back Day.

The drop-off runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. The Fairfax County Police Department is running the sites with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the department said in its release.

Where to go in Reston

Reston Hospital Center, 1850 Town Center Parkway. The drop-off is outside Pavilion 1, across from Parking Garage B.

The Reston District Police Station is not on this year’s list. The hospital is the only Reston site.

The nearest other sites are:

  • Fair Oaks District Police Station, 12300 Route 50, Fairfax, about six miles south
  • Town of Vienna Police Department, 215 Center St. South, Vienna, about six miles east
  • Tysons Emergency, 8240 Leesburg Pike Service Road, Tysons, about seven miles east
  • Sully District Police Station, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly, about seven miles southwest

The full list of nine sites is in the department’s release. West Springfield’s station is a drive-through.

What you can bring

The department said these items are accepted:

  • prescription and over-the-counter pills
  • prescription ointments
  • medications for pets
  • e-cigarettes and vaping devices, with the batteries removed
  • small liquid packs or pods for vaping devices

What you cannot bring

  • illegal drugs
  • needles and syringes
  • pressurized canisters, including inhalers and aerosol cans
  • large amounts of liquid
  • nonprescription ointments and lotions

What it means for you

  • Check your cabinets for anything expired or no longer used.
  • Remove personal information from prescription labels or packaging before you go, the department said.
  • Do not flush or trash it. The department said flushing medications or throwing them away can pollute local waterways. For everything else that goes to the curb, see our trash and recycling page.

The department said unused medications can lead to accidental poisoning, misuse and addiction, especially opioid painkillers. It said many misused prescription drugs come from family or friends.

More details are at DEATakeBack.com. For other police news, see our Police and Fire log.