KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) Residents across Cheshire County will have several opportunities to safely dispose of unwanted and expired medications during the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 24.

The biannual initiative will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at collection sites nationwide. The program aims to prevent prescription drug misuse, reduce accidental poisonings and limit environmental harm from improper medication disposal.

The following locations in and around Cheshire County are listed as participating collection sites for Saturday’s event:

Keene Police Department, 400 Marlboro St., Keene

Jaffrey Police Department, 26 Main St., Jaffrey

Hinsdale Police Department, 10 Main St., Hinsdale,

Walpole Police Department, Walpole Recycle Center, 207 Whitcomb Road, Walpole

Alstead Police Department, 15 Mechanic St., Alstead

Peterborough Police Department, 73 Grove St., Peterborough

Residents should check the DEA’s collection site locator before traveling, as locations and participation details may change.

What medications can be dropped off?

The program generally accepts unwanted or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications, including tablets, capsules, liquids in sealed containers, patches and inhalers.

Needles, syringes, other sharps and certain types of medical waste are not accepted. Residents should remove or cover personal information on prescription labels before dropping off medications.

The DEA encourages people to clear unused medications from their homes rather than leave them where they could be accidentally taken or misused. Proper disposal also helps prevent medications from entering the environment through inappropriate disposal methods.

Year-round disposal options

Residents who cannot attend Saturday’s event may be able to use permanent medication drop-off locations.

The DEA’s year-round disposal locator lists Dartmouth Health Pharmacy Cheshire, 580 Court St., Keene, and CVS, 268 West St., Keene, as local options. Residents should contact the locations in advance to confirm their hours, accepted medications and disposal procedures.

During the April 2026 National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, participating law enforcement agencies collected 642,410 pounds of unwanted medications nationwide. That brought the program’s cumulative collection total to more than 21 million pounds since its inception.

The DEA organizes the initiative twice a year to provide convenient disposal options and help communities reduce the risks associated with unused prescription drugs.

For additional information and collection site details, visit the DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day website.