Bring Unwanted Pills Saturday To Annapolis, Anne Arundel Police

ANNAPOLIS, MD — On Saturday, the Annapolis Police Department, the Anne Arundel County Police Department and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public its 16th opportunity in seven years to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused and unwanted prescription drugs. Both police departments are participating in the DEA's National Prescription Drug Take Back Initiative.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, you can bring your pills for disposal to the Annapolis Police Department at 199 Taylor Ave., or to the headquarters of the Anne Arundel County Police Department or its four district stations.

The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. The DEA cannot accept liquids or needles or sharps, only pills or patches.

The Anne Arundel department will have a police representative at each of the county’s five collection sites:

• Police Headquarters, 8495 Veterans Highway, Millersville
• Northern District, 939 Hammonds Lane, Baltimore
• Eastern District, 204 Pasadena Road, Pasadena
• Western District, 8273 Telegraph Road, Odenton
• Southern District, 35 Stepneys Lane, Edgewater

Collection Day Rules

The Anne Arundel County Police Department has set these rules for the National Prescription Drug Take-Back Initiative:

• Controlled, non-controlled and over-the-counter substances may be collected.
• This program is anonymous and no requests for identification will be made.
• Participants may dispose of medication in its original container or by removing the medication from its container and disposing of it directly into the disposal box. If an original container is submitted, the individual will be encouraged to remove any identifying information from the prescription label.
• All solid dosage pharmaceutical product and liquids in consumer containers may be accepted. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should remain sealed in their original container. The depositor should ensure that the cap is tightly sealed to prevent leakage.
• Intravenous solutions, injectables and syringes will not be accepted due to potential hazards posed by blood-borne pathogens. However, there are separate syringe drop boxes at the above locations.
• Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative and should not be placed in collection containers. If an individual attempts to surrender an illicit controlled substance, law enforcement personnel will handle such material as abandoned property in accordance with department policy.
• All participants must retain possession of their own medication during the surrender process.

For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or the Take Back Day event, click here.

Drop Boxes For Pills

The Annapolis Police Department has a permanently installed medication disposal box in the lobby. It is open during normal business hours, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

The Anne Arundel Police Department has drop boxes in each district station and at headquarters. The department says the same collection rules established for the pill take-back initiative will apply to the drop boxes.

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