Community Corner

Norristown Creates Permanent MedReturn Drug Collection Unit.

Now you can return unwanted medications anytime in Norristown.

NORRISTOWN, PA -- Residents looking to dispose of excess and expired prescription and over-the-counter medications can now visit the safe and secure permanent drop off location at the Norristown Police Department Lobby located at 235 East Airy Street, police announced in a press release.

The Norristown Police Department has partnered with The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office to establish a permanent MedReturn drug collection program in order to reduce the supply of drugs that can potentially harm teens and adults, the municipality said.

According to the 2011 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), more than six million Americans abuse prescription drugs. Among youth who are 12 to 17 years old, 7.4 percent report past year non-medical use of prescription drugs, according to the municipality.

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Properly disposing of excess drugs is everyone’s responsibility as a matter of public safety. More than 70 percent of young people abusing prescription pain relievers get them through friends or family, a statistic that includes raiding the family medicine cabinet. Now Norristown residents won’t have to wait for a specific take-back day to clean out their medicine cabinets, a press release states.

The collection site is open 7 days a week/ 24 hours a day. Drugs can be dropped off with no questions asked.

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The drug collection unit is produced by MedReturn, LLC of Grafton, WI. MedReturn, LLC is committed to providing a safe, secure and environmentally friendly way to help law enforcement agencies and communities collect unwanted or expired household medication, including prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs and unused pharmaceuticals.

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