CVS pharmacy and the Washington Police Department are teaming up to host a prescription take-back event this Saturday in Washington.

The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of CVS and is open to anyone interested in disposing of prescription and over the counter drugs.

“Any citizen who has any medicine that they are no longer using should bring the medicine so we can destroy it in the proper manner — any type of medicine or prescription that they’re no longer using,” said Stacy Drakeford, Director of Washington Police and Fire Services.

Drakeford said CVS requested by letter that the two team up for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration event.

“Of course, we agreed,” Drakeford said.

Officers in uniform will be on site Saturday receiving the medications. According to its website, the DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.  The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

The event signifies a nationwide effort to dispose of controlled substances in a responsible way: in 2010 the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act was signed into law, sanctioning DEA to create permanent and ongoing methods to do so.

At last year’s spring take-back event, 371 tons of prescription medications were collected nationwide.

The primary reason for take-back events is the prevalence of prescription drug abuse. According to the 2011 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, twice as many Americans regularly abuse prescription drugs than those who regularly abuse cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens and inhalants combined. According to a DEA press release, studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines — flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash — both pose potential safety and health hazards, the release said.

“It’s time to clean out your cabinets and get rid of all that old stuff before it gets in the hands of someone who doesn’t need it, who it’s not prescribed to, so it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands — in particular, children’s,” Drakeford said.