Police Provide Two New Places to Dispose of Unwanted Medication

Police Provide Two New Places to Dispose of Unwanted Medication

"The Greensboro Police Department now offers two locations for the public to dispose of unwanted pills, patches, ointments, and capsules year round.

Prescription and over-the-counter pills, patches, ointments, and capsules can be deposited in secure collection boxes at two police stations: 300 South Swing Road, and 1106 Maple Street.

The boxes are accessible Monday through Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pills, patches, ointments, and capsules should be placed in sealed plastic bottles or bags. Labels from prescription pill bottles should be removed, or have personal information obscured.

Liquids, medical bio hazards, sharps, and illegal drugs cannot be placed in the boxes.

“We clearly have a need for this type of service in Greensboro,” said Officer T.J. Bloch. “Before these boxes were installed, people had limited means of properly disposing of medication.”

Many people had to wait for twice-yearly Safe Drug Disposal programs that were held at select pharmacies throughout the city. Usually, more than 300 lbs of unwanted drugs were collected at these events.          

The collection boxes were provided at no-cost by Project Lazarus, a non-profit organization that empowers communities and individuals to prevent drug overdoses. Project Lazarus purchased the collection boxes for $700 each from the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, a non-profit organization that facilitates cooperation among law enforcement, state regulatory agencies, healthcare professionals, and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the prevention and investigation of prescription drug diversion.

Police officers will periodically empty the collection boxes and bring the unwanted drugs in sealed boxes to GPD’s Evidence Technicians to be incinerated.

Greensboro police will continue to participate in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Agency each October.

To dispose of pills and liquids at home:

·         Dissolve pills in water first.

·         Then pour liquid medicines and/or water mixture into a bag of kitty litter, charcoal, or other unappealing material.

To dispose of sharps at home, put them in a sealed plastic bottle such as an empty soda bottle or laundry detergent bottle, and place in your household trash."

Press Release