MTSU to host bi-annual prescription drug, vape take-back day April 23

By Raegan Faught

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. –– Middle Tennessee State University Campus Pharmacy and University Police will hold their biannual Prescription Drug Take-Back Event from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, in the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center parking lot, 1848 Blue Raider Drive.

This year’s event will be held outside the campus pharmacy where students, faculty and staff will be able to drive-up or walk-up to dispose of their substances.

Expired, unused and unwanted prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines will be accepted. Other items eligible for disposal include supplements, vet medications, and empty vaping devices. Event organizers ask that medications are bagged and in original containers if possible.

For prescription medications, remove or conceal any personal information on the labels before turning them in.

Sharps (needles) and EpiPens will not be accepted.

In this spring 2024 file photo, Chipper Smith, left, senior project coordinator in the Middle Tennessee State University Office of Prevention Science and Recovery, and MTSU Pharmacist Tabby Ragland are shown with a portion of nearly 77 pounds of medications collected during the spring Prescription Drug Take-Back Day held near the Campus Pharmacy drive-thru outside the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center on Blue Raider Drive in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The drive included collecting 60 vapes. This year's event is set for 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at the same location. (Submitted photo) — In this spring 2024 file photo, Chipper Smith, left, senior project coordinator in the Middle Tennessee State University Office of Prevention Science and Recovery, and MTSU Pharmacist Tabby Ragland are shown with a portion of nearly 77 pounds of medications collected during the spring Prescription Drug Take-Back Day held near the Campus Pharmacy drive-thru outside the Health, Wellness and Recreation Center on Blue Raider Drive in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The drive included collecting 60 vapes. This year’s event is set for 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, April 23, 2025, at the same location. (Submitted photo)

This event is hosted as part of the Drug Enforcement Agency’s national initiative aimed at providing a safe, convenient and environmentally responsible way to dispose of unneeded medications while also educating about the abuse of prescription drugs.

Chipper Smith, campus Health Promotion coordinator, explains how this event helps the campus achieve these goals.

“First, by disposing of unused medication, we lower the risk of substance misuse among friends and family members who we share a living space with,” said Smith. “Second, by properly disposing of medication through incineration, we ensure that the chemicals in the medication do not pollute our waterways across the county.”

Smith added that MTSU is one of the only college campuses in Tennessee that promotes a proper disposal pathway for vaping devices, as throwing them away risks nicotine seeping into the environment. Last spring, the campus take-back event collected 60 vaping devices from the local community.

For more information contact the MTSU Health Promotion office 615-494-8704 or email Chipper Smith at chipper.smith@mtsu.edu.

— Raegan Faught is a senior journalism major in the School of Journalism and Strategic Media. Contact her at news@mtsu.edu.