Health & Fitness

Get Rid Of Unwanted Prescription Drugs, Meds On April 27

Anne Arundel County Police will staff drop-off sites for unwanted and expired medications on Drug Take-Back Day, April 27.

Residents can drop off unused or expired medications at Anne Arundel County Police stations on April 27.
Residents can drop off unused or expired medications at Anne Arundel County Police stations on April 27. (Renee Schiavone/Patch)

MILLERSVILLE, MD — The Anne Arundel County Police Department will participate in Drug Take-Back Day this Saturday, April 27. The program lets residents remove potentially dangerous controlled substances from their medicine cabinets. This 17th national "take-back day" helps the public get rid of expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications; law enforcement officers will then destroy the unwanted medications.

In addition to collecting dropped-off medicines, the Police Department will showcase its permanently installed drop boxes in each district station and police headquarters. The boxes let residents safely dispose of unused or unwanted medications year round.

Collection Day Protocols

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From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, the Anne Arundel County Police Department will have a police representative at each of the county’s four districts and police headquarters which will serve as collection sites.

  • Police Headquarters, 8495 Veterans Highway, Millersville
  • Northern District, 939 Hammonds Lane, Baltimore
  • Eastern District, 204 Pasadena Road, Pasadena
  • Western District, 8273 Telegraph Road, Odenton
  • Southern District, 35 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater

Controlled, non-controlled, and over the counter substances may be collected. This program is anonymous and no requests for identification will be made.

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  • Participants may dispose of medication in its original container or by removing the medication from its container and disposing of it directly into the disposal box. If an original container is submitted, the individual should be encouraged to remove any identifying information from the prescription label.
  • All solid dosage pharmaceutical product and liquids in consumer containers may be accepted. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The depositor should ensure that the cap is tightly sealed to prevent leakage.
  • Intra-venous solutions, injectibles, and syringes will not be accepted due to potential hazard posed by blood-borne pathogens.
  • Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative and should not be placed in collection containers. If an individual attempts to surrender an illicit controlled substance, law enforcement personnel should handle such material as abandoned property in accordance with department policy.
  • All participants must retain possession of their own medication during the surrender process.

The drop boxes listed above with the exception of headquarters are available daily. The headquarters location is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the exception of county holidays.


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