Old, Unwanted Drugs To Be Accepted At 35 Montco Locations

NORRISTOWN, PA — Law enforcement agencies throughout Montgomery County are participating in the upcoming annual drug take back day at 35 locations county-wide.

Residents will be able to drop off their medications for safe disposal at local police departments, and are encouraged not to hesitate to properly dispose of their drugs.

Prescription drug abuse often starts with a legal prescription, and the majority of drug abusers say they get their drugs from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet, the DEA said.

Former DEA Acting Administrator Uttam Dhillon said helping people dispose of unwanted, unused or expired prescription medications is one of the ways the agency works to break the cycle of addiction and drug overdose deaths.

“Addiction causes a tremendous amount of pain and suffering, not just for those addicted to drugs, but also for their families and friends,” Dhillon said.

It’s not just opioids that pose dangers. Expired prescription drugs can be less effective or risky due to changes over time in chemical composition. Some expired medications are at risk of bacterial growth, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Expired antibiotics may not treat infections, leading to more serious illnesses and antibiotic resistance, the DEA said.

The following locations are participating:

• Abington Township Police Department, 1166 Old York Rd., Abington
• Ambler Police Department, 131 Rosemary Ave., Ambler
• Bridgeport Police Department, 65 W. 4th St., Bridgeport
• Cheltenham Police Department, 8230 Old York Rd., Elkins Park
• Collegeville Borough Police Department, 491 E. Main St., Collegeville
• East Norriton Township Police Department, 2501 Stanbridge St., East Norriton
• Franconia Township Police Department at Franconia Elementary School, 366
• Harleysville Pike, Souderton
• Hatboro Police Department, 120 E. Montgomery Ave., Hatboro
• Hatfield Township Police Department, 1950 School Rd., Hatfield
• Jenkintown Police Department, 700 Summit Ave., Jenkintown
• Lansdale Borough Police Department, 1 Vine St., Lansdale
• Limerick Township Police Department, 646 W. Ridge Pike, Limerick
• Lower Merion Township Police Department, 71 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore
• Lower Pottsgrove Township Police Department at the Sanatoga Fire Company,
• 2222 E. High St., Pottstown
• Lower Providence Township Police Department, 100 Parklane Dr., Eagleville
• Marlborough Township Police Department, 6040 Upper Ridge Rd., Green Lane
• New Hanover Police Department, 2943 N. Charlotte St., Gilbertsville
• Plymouth Township Police Department, 700 Belvoir Rd., Plymouth Meeting
• Pottstown Police Department, 100 E. High St., Pottstown
• Royersford Police Department, 300 Main St., Royersford
• Souderton Police Department, 31 W. Summit St., Souderton
• Springfield Township Police Department, 1510 Paper Mill Rd., Wyndmoor
• Towamencin Township Police Department, 1090 Troxel Rd., Lansdale
• Upper Dublin Township Police Department, 520 Virginia Dr., Fort Washington
• Upper Gwynedd Township Police Department, 1 Parkside Place, North Wales
• Upper Merion Township Police Department, 175 W. Valley Forge Rd., King of
• Prussia
• Upper Perk Police Department, 88 W. 6th St., Pennsburg
• West Conshohocken Police Department at Borough Hall, 112 Ford St.,
• Conshohocken
• West Norriton Township Police Department, 1630 W. Marshall St., Jeffersonville
• Whitemarsh Township Police Department, 616 E. Germantown Pike, Lafayette Hill
• Whitpain Township Police Department, 960 Wentz Rd., Blue Bell
• Grocery store locations staffed by police:
• Wegmans at Montgomery Mall (Montgomery Township Police), 500 Montgomery
• Mall, North Wales
• Wegmans at Providence Town Center (Upper Providence Township Police), 600
• Commerce Drive, Collegeville
• Giant Food Store (Upper Moreland Police), 315 N. York Rd., Willow Grove

More than 108,000 pounds of drugs have been collected and safely disposed since the county began the program in 2010.