Somerset County Deputies To Host Rx Drive-Thru Medicine Drop Off

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Somerset County residents will have a chance to safely dispose of unwanted or outdated prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications this weekend.

On Saturday, the Somerset County Sheriff's Office, the Somerset County Solid Waste Management Division and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will host an "Rx Mission Drive-in/Drop-Off" event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the South County Public Works Garage, which is located at 410 Roycefield Rd. in Hillsborough.

The program is held in conjunction with all scheduled Somerset County Household Hazardous Waste drop-off events. This is a rain or shine event, according to the sheriff's office.

"The focus of this ongoing program is to protect the environment and get rid of unwanted, unused and outdated medicine, especially potentially dangerous pharmaceuticals," said Sheriff Darrin Russo. “For nearly 10 years, county residents have shown support for the drop-off program, and our communities are safer because of their efforts," he said.

During the event, medications should be in their original packages with personal information such as name and address removed. The name of the medication should be visible. Illegal drugs, needles and sharps should not be brought to the drop-off.

"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," said Sheriff Russo.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, most people take prescription medications responsibly; however, in 2017, an estimated 18 million people (more than 6 percent of those aged 12 and older) have misused such medications at least once in the past year.

The 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows an estimated 2 million Americans misused prescription pain relievers for the first time within the past year, which averages to approximately 5,480 initiates per day."

The USDEA reports that prescription drugs, including opioids and antidepressants, are responsible for more overdose deaths than street drugs such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines. Many teenagers mistakenly believe prescription drugs are "much safer" than illegal drugs and prescription painkillers are not addictive.

Residents also can take advantage of the Somerset County Sheriff's Office medicine collection drop box, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, no questions asked. The drop box is located on the lower level of the Somerset County Administration Building at 20 Grove St. in Somerville, near the entrance to the Sheriff's Office.

In Somerset County:

For the convenience of residents, additional drop boxes are located at participating municipalities. Following are municipal medicine drop-box locations that are part of the program: Bernards Township Police Department, 1 Collyer Lane, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, 908-766-1122 (7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. After hours, use the phone in the station house); Bound Brook Police Department lobby, 226 Hamilton St., Bound Brook, NJ 08805, 732-356-0800; 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, 732-873-5533; Hillsborough Township Police Department, 379 S. Branch Rd., Hillsborough NJ 08844, 908-369-4323; and North Plainfield Police Department, 263 Somerset St., North Plainfield, NJ 07060, 908-769-2937; Warren Township Police Department, 44 Mountain Blvd., and Warren, NJ 07059, 908-753-1146; Raritan Borough Police Department, 20 1st St, Raritan, NJ 08869, 908-725-6700

Please note that liquids and syringes are not accepted at these locations. For more information regarding medicine collection in Somerset County, Contact Officer Joe Bialy at 908-231-7197 or Captain Steve San Antonio at 908-231-7168.