Your Student Life: Medication Disposal Day
October 13, 2026
Unneeded prescription medication–those that are old, unwanted, or no longer needed – are a public safety issue, too often becoming an opportunity for misuse and a potential gateway to addiction.
Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision.
Studies have found that the majority people who have misused a prescription medication claim to have obtained the medicine from a family member or friend.
Ohio State’s Medication Disposal Day provides a safe, convenient and responsible means of disposing of any expired or unused over-the-counter or prescription medications on campus, while also educating the general public about proper use and potential outcomes of misuse of medications. All Ohio State students, faculty and staff are welcomed and encouraged to participate on Wednesday, October 21, and Thursday, October 22, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on South Campus on Siebert Lawn (West 11th Avenue end) and on North Campus near Town Square North.
Which Medications are Acceptable for Disposal?
- Schedule II-V Drugs
- Prescriptions
- Vitamins
- Prescription Ointments
- Pet Medications
- Prescription Patches
- Over-the-Counter Medications
- Vapes (Batteries Must Be Removed Before Disposal)
Not permitted in disposal box: Schedule I Drugs, needles/syringes, inhalers, aerosol cans, thermometers. lotions or liquids and hydrogen peroxide.
You can drop off approved unused or expired medication at any time in a safe, legal and environmentally friendly way through a permanent Drug Enforcement Agency approved drug take back box on campus. It’s located at the Wilce Student Health Center Pharmacy, and open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Brandon Horton
Student Wellness Center
Office of Student Life