Johnson County residents can properly dispose of unwanted or outdated pharmaceuticals and needles from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 25, 2026. The event will be held in the parking lot of the East Side Recycling Center, 2401 Scott Blvd. SE.

This event is part of a nationwide effort led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and is offered locally by the Iowa City Police Department and Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the three classes of medication most commonly misused are opioids typically prescribed to treat pain, central nervous system depressants used to treat anxiety and sleep disorders, and stimulants typically prescribed to treat attention-deficit hyper activity disorder. Misuse of prescription drugs has led to an increase in emergency room visits, treatment admissions for prescription drug use disorders and overdose deaths over the past 15 years, the agency reported in June 2020.

What to bring

• Prescription and over-the-counter medications
• Needles and sharps (see guidelines below)

How to prepare items

• Leave medications in original containers and black out personal information, or place them in a sealed plastic bag
• Place needles and sharps in a sealed, rigid plastic container (such as a sharps container or laundry detergent bottle)
• Do not use thin plastic containers like milk jugs or plastic bags
• Items in unsafe containers will not be accepted
• Needles are accepted from households only (not businesses)

Not accepted

• Vaping devices or materials

Can't make the event?

The City of Iowa City does not have a year-round drop off location for used or unwanted prescription drugs. Information for drug take back locations in Iowa City and across the state can be found here.

Questions?

Contact Iowa City Police Detective Niles Mercer at [email protected], or Resource Management Superintendent Jennifer Jordan at [email protected].