Prescription Drug Collection Hosted By Sarasota Police, DEA

SARASOTA, FL — The Sarasota Police Department is partnering with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to collect potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. City residents are encouraged to bring pills to bring their pills to two disposal sites:

• Sarasota Police Department Headquarters, 2099 Adams Lane, Sarasota
• Walmart Neighborhood Market, 3500 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota

To keep everyone safe, collection sites will follow local COVID-19 guidelines and regulations. Sites cannot accept liquids, needles, or sharps, only pills or patches. The service is free and anonymous — no questions asked.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that are in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse and abuse. Unused or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose and abuse. Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold. Prescription drugs that are unused and flushed contaminate water supplies. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.

Last fall, Americans turned in nearly 883,000 pounds of prescription drugs at nearly 6,300 sites operated by the DEA and nearly 5,000 of its state and local law enforcement partners. The DEA and their law enforcement partners have collected nearly 6,350 tons of expired, unused and unwanted prescription medications since the inception of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative in 2010.