Natick Police Want Your Old Prescription Drugs

NATICK, MA — The Natick Police Department is getting ready to collect your unwanted prescription drugs. Drug take back day will be coming back to the town on April 27 where the department will be set up at 20 E Central St or the Wegman's at the Natick Mall. Residents are encouraged to clear their medicine cabinets of unwanted or old prescription drugs and drop them off with police.

Police cannot accept sharps, liquids or over-the-counter medication.

The department is once again joining the national drug take back day movement. Medicines that sit in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion and misuse. Rates of prescription drug misuse in the U.S are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.

The DEA launched its prescription drug take back program when both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration advised the public that flushing these drugs down the toilet or throwing them in the trash posed potential safety and health hazards.

Last April, during the Take Back Day, the DEA New England Field Division participated in the drug take back day and, over the course of four hours, 88,182 pounds or 44 tons of expired, unused, unwanted prescription drugs were collected at 580 collection sites throughout New England