A 2-year study of drug drop box donations in Appalachia

Researchers partnered with DEA and local law enforcement to quantify drug drop box donations over 2 years in eight Northeast Tennessee locations, an area that has demonstrated high prescription drug abuse. In all, 4,481 pounds of pharmaceutical waste was collected, 4.9% of which were controlled substances. The mean controlled substance donation rate was 1.39 pounds per 1,000 residents, and communities with fewer than 10,000 residents donated at a higher rate compared with communities with 10,000 or more residents.