Somerset County Hosting Rx Drive-Thru Medicine Drop-Off

The Somerset County Sheriff’s Department has invited county residents to safely dispose of any unwanted or outdated prescription or over-the-counter medications at the county’s first Rx Mission Drive-in/Drop-Off.

The medicine drop-off will take place on Saturday, March 21, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Bernards Township Public Works Garage, located at 277 S. Maple Ave. in Basking Ridge, authorities said.

The drop-off is sponsored by the Somerset County Sheriff’s Department, Somerset County Waste Management Division and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (USDEA). The program is held in conjunction with all scheduled Household Hazardous Waste drop-off events in Somerset County.

“The focus of this ongoing program is to protect the environment and get rid of unwanted, unused and outdated medicine, especially potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals,” Somerset County Sheriff Frank Provenzano said. “County residents have shown amazing support of this drop-off program, and our community and loved ones are safer because of their efforts ... A total of 923 pounds of medicines were properly disposed of in Somerset County at the five Household Hazardous Waste events in 2014.”

The sheriff’s department said medications should be dropped off in their original packages or bottles, with personal information, such as names and addresses removed. The names of the medications, however, should remain and be visible.

Illegal drugs, needles or sharps should not be dropped off, authorities said.

“Leftover medicines pose serious safety and health threats and also raise environmental concerns when flushed down the drain or toilet because they can contaminate bodies of water, harm wildlife and end up in drinking-water supplies,” Provenzano said. “Prescription-drug abuse is the fastest-growing drug problem in the United States. Among youth, 7 of the top 10 abused substances are pharmaceuticals.”

The sheriff’s department said county residents could also take advantage of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office medicine collection drop box, 24-hours a day, seven-days a week. The drop box is located on the lower level of the Somerset County Administration Building, 20 Grove St. in Somerville, near the entrance to the Sheriff’s Office.

Additional drop boxes are located at participating municipalities including:

• Bernards Township Police Department, 1 Collyer Lane
• Basking Ridge, NJ 07920-(908) 766-1122;
• Branchburg Police Department, 590 Old York Road at Route 202 North, Branchburg, NJ 08876-(908) 526-3830;
• Franklin Township Police Department, 495 Demott Lane, Somerset, NJ 08873-(732) 873-2300;
• Hillsborough Township Police Department, 379 S. Branch Rd., Hillsborough NJ 08844-(908) 369-4323;
• North Plainfield Police Department, 263 Somerset St., North Plainfield, NJ 07060-(908) 769-2937

For more information regarding medicine collection in Somerset County, contact Lt. Steve SanAntonio at (908) 231-7168 or Sheriff’s Officer Thomas Wallace at (908) 231-7138.