Police To Take Back Unwanted Prescription Drugs April 28

ROCKVILLE, MD — On Saturday, April 28, residents can drop off unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs as Montgomery County once again participates in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

This is a safe, free and anonymous opportunity to dispose of unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs and is part of a national effort to prevent the increasing problems of prescription drug abuse and theft.

County law enforcement agencies and the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse Prevention Office are co-sponsoring the effort.

Residents are encouraged to bring in medications containing controlled substances, but police will accept any medications brought for disposal. All sites will take pills and medication patches of all kinds.

If possible, prescription labels should be removed or personal information should be blacked out; however, pill bottles will still be accepted if the labels are attached. No questions will be asked.

Liquids, illicit drugs, needles, sharps and syringes cannot be accepted as part of this take-back program.

Officers will staff collection boxes in the parking lots of the following facilities or in the facility lobbies:

• MCPD 2nd District Police Station, 4823 Rugby Ave., Bethesda
• Village of Friendship Heights Community Center, 4433 S. Park Ave., Chevy Chase
• Chevy Chase Village Police Station, 5906 Connecticut Ave., Chevy Chase
• MCPD 6th District Police Station, 45A West Watkins Mill Rd., Gaithersburg
• Asbury Methodist Village, Apartment Center Lobby, 301 Odendhal Ave, Bldg. 405, Gaithersburg
• Senior Living at Kentlands Manor, 217 Booth St., Kentlands
• Rockville City Police/Montgomery County Sheriffs – Rockville City Police Station, 2 W. Montgomery Avenue (Lobby of Rockville City Police building)
• Maryland State Police Rockville Barrack, 7915 Montrose Rd., Rockville
• Bender Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Greater Washington, 6125 Montrose Rd. Rockville
• MCP 3rd District Station, 1001 Milestone Rd., Silver Spring
• Fire Station 1, 8110 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring
• Takoma Park Police at Takoma Park City Building Lobby, 7500 Maple Avenue
• MCPD 4th District Station, 2300 Randolph Rd. Wheaton

All the returned medications on Drug Take-Back Day will be incinerated according to federal and state environmental guidelines. Unused and/or expired medicines that remain in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. According to the DEA, rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses.

Disposing of prescription drugs through a drug take-back day is the safest option, police said. If it is safe to dispose of a drug by flushing it down a toilet, the drug label or prescription information will indicate that option is an appropriate means of disposal. Otherwise, unused drugs should not be poured down a sink or flushed for disposal.

Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.

Photo: MCPD