Residents may dispose of unwanted or unused prescription medicines safely during the federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s National .

The free event will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 27 at Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, 940 New Salem Highway in Murfreesboro.

The Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration nationwide to dispose of the medications for free.

Sgt. Robert Dowell and Cpl. Heather Rowland will collect the prescriptions at the main entrance of the Sheriff’s Office near the flagpole.

Liquids or needles cannot be accepted.

The DEA reported rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. continue to be alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs like opioids.

The majority of prescription drug abusers say they get their drugs free from friends and family, including from the home medicine cabinet.

Take Back Day is a unique opportunity for Americans to protect their homes and medicine cabinets from theft and abuse.

MTSu held its Drug Take Back on Tuesday, Arpil 23 and Officials with the MTSU Campus Pharmacy, assisted by a student and administrator from the Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy, collected more than 51 pounds of unwanted drugs dropped off by the public.

More than 20 pounds of over-the-counter medications, 27 pounds of prescription drugs and 3.6 pounds of controlled substances were taken in by the MTSU pharmacy and Campus Police in the first of two annual events to coincide with National Prescription Drug Take-Back Days held every spring and fall.

Photo: Sgt. Robert Dowell displays the prescription drugs collected during last year’s Drug Take Back event.