Prescription Drug Take Back in Anne Arundel Saturday

By: Jenni Pompi

Have some old, unused, unwanted, expired prescription medications rattling around in your medicine chest? Get rid of them Saturday around the county as part of a national prescription drug take back initiative. 

As part of this effort, the Drug Enforcement Administration coordinates with state and local law enforcement agencies with the aim of getting unused and/or expired controlled substances out of people's homes. 

Anne Arundel County police departments will also be showcasing permanently installed drop boxes that will allow for residents to disposes of unwanted and expired meds year round in a "safe and secure environment," according to a press release. The drop boxes will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

AACPD has released the following protocol for Saturday's drug take back event: 

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

In Anne Arundel County, medications can also be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following locations:

• Northern District Station, 939 Hammonds Lane, Baltimre
• Eastern District Station, 3700 Mountain Road, Pasadena
• Western District Station, 8273 Telegraph Road, Odenton
• Southern District Station, 35 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater