Where, When to Drop Off Unwanted Meds in Anne Arundel County

MILLERSVILLE, MD — Anne Arundel residents can safely dispose of unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medicines on Saturday, Oct. 22, when the Anne Arundel County Police Department participates in the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative. The event lets people surrender expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications to law enforcement officers for destruction.

The drop-off program is completely anonymous, no identification is requested of people disposing of prescription medications, and people are therefore encouraged to remove identifying labels from containers.

Residents can stop by the county's police stations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, to get rid of prescription medications. You are asked to remove identifying labels from containers.

County locations are:

• Anne Arundel Police Headquarters, 8495 Veterans Highway in Millersville
• Southern District, 35 Stepneys Lane in Edgewater, (410) 222-1961
• Western District, 8273 Telegraph Road in Odenton, (410) 222-6155
• Eastern District, 3700 Mountain Road in Pasadena, (410) 222-6145
• Northern District, 939 Hammonds Lane in Baltimore, (410) 222-6135

The county has permanent drug drop-off boxes at its district offices; those drop boxes are accessible around the clock. The box at county police headquarters is available from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Liquid medications should be in a sealed container to prevent leakage (original bottle). Other medications (pills, tablets, etc.) can be in a ziplock bag or will be disposed of directly into the disposal box, and their original containers can be put in a recycling bin.

The police department is not accepting IV solutions, needles or injectibles. Any other type of medication is accepted (controlled, non-controlled, or over the counter).

Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative and should not be placed in collection containers. If someone tries to surrender an illegal drug, law enforcement personnel will handle it as abandoned property in accordance with department policy.

The Anne Arundel County Department of Health has also placed a permanent prescription drug drop-off box in the lobby of the Annapolis Police department at 199 Taylor Ave. The public can discard expired, unwanted, and unused prescription and over-the-counter drugs Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., excluding holidays.

Residents can also stop by the lobby of the Annapolis Police Department from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, to get rid of prescription medications. You are asked to remove identifying labels from containers.

»Graphic courtesy of the US Drug Enforcement Agency