Drop Off Unwanted Prescriptions on Drug Take-Back Day 2015

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The Rockville City Police Department offers a safe way to clean out medicine cabinets and dispose of drugs that are no longer needed with Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, May 30.

Police will collect expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs and over-the-counter medication for disposal from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the lobby of the Rockville City Police Station, at 2 West Montgomery Ave. The service is free and anonymous. Illicit drugs and needles cannot be accepted.

Drug Take-Back Day keeps prescription drugs from potentially polluting our drinking water while educating the public about the potential for abuse or theft of these medications.

If possible, prescription labels should be removed or personal information should be blacked out. No questions will be asked.

Disposing of them through a drug take-back day is the safest option. If it is safe to dispose of a drug by flushing it down a toilet, the drug label or prescription information will indicate that option is an appropriate means of disposal.

Drugs should not be thrown in the trash unless these safety precautions are followed:

• Place unwanted or expired medication into a plastic bag (with a seal) or other empty container with a lid to prevent liquid medications from leaking out.
• Mix with kitty litter, coffee grounds or sawdust. (Liquid medications can be solidified using kitty litter or sawdust.)
• Seal the bag and/or container.
• Crush pills or tablets.
• Put the container and/or bag containing the medication into your regular household trash.
• Remove the label with the patient’s name from the original medicine vial or bottle.

Unused and/or expired medicines that remain in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Studies show that most abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet.