WESTOVER — Many people don’t think to include the bathroom medicine cabinet to the spring household cleaning list.  That’s why so many unused and expired prescription pill bottles continue to fill space behind the cabinet door only to pose a risk for misuse or abuse in thousands of households across the nation.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement are coordinating a nationwide drug “take-back” day on Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  All Somerset County police agencies will participate by providing residents with no cost anonymous collection of unused and expired medicines.  Take Back Box programs are recognized by the Somerset County Health Department and other public health and environmental agencies as the safest and most responsible way to dispose of unwanted and expired medicines to protect families and the local water ways.

“National Drug Take Back Day gives us an opportunity to promote the drug take back box we have in our lobby,” said Tim Bozman, Princess Anne Police Chief.  “We are promoting this on our website and Facebook page to help get the word out.  We want to make sure expired and unused prescription medications don’t fall into the wrong hands and are disposed of properly.  It is better for the safety of our community and environment.”

Somerset County Health Department has partnered with local law enforcement agencies and pharmacies to provide a safe, simple and secure way to collect unwanted or expired medications by installing Drug Take Back Boxes in several locations around the county.  Community members can dispose of prescriptions, over-the-counter drugs and unused pharmaceuticals in the boxes.

Somerset County Drug Take Back Box Locations:

Law Enforcement Agencies

• Princess Anne Police Department - 11780 Beckford Ave. Princess Anne, MD 21853
• MSP Princess Anne Barracks - 30581 Perry Rd. Princess Anne, MD 21853
• Crisfield Police Department - 319 West Main St. Crisfield, MD 21817
• Somerset County Sheriff’s Department - 30426 Sam Barnes Rd. #A Westover, MD 21871

Local Pharmacies

• Marion Pharmacy - 26427 Burton Ave, Crisfield, MD 21817
• Crisfield Discount Pharmacy - 347 W Main St. Crisfield, MD 21817
• Karemore Pharmacy - 12085 Somerset Ave, Princess Anne, MD 21853

Acceptable deposits: Any expired or unused medication that comes in pill form, capsules or liquid in a bottle.  Non-liquid forms of medication can be in the original container or a zip lock baggies.

Unacceptable deposits: All medical waste.  Needles, lancets, syringes, and razor blades should be securely enclosed in a metal or plastic container and thrown in the regular trash. These items should not be placed in the drug drop boxes.

“We want “cleaning out the medicine cabinet” to become a priority for people in our community just like changing the batteries in the smoke detector or the oil in their car,” said Sharon Lynch, Somerset County Health Department, Health Planning and Prevention Director.  “The Drug Take Back Boxes provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of unused or expired prescription drugs.  And it doesn’t have to be a national day for people to drop off.  It can be any day of the week.”

Lynch says the risks involved with not safely disposing unused and expired drugs far outweigh the time it takes to actually clean out the medicine cabinet.

“We see too many cases where a student lets curiosity get the best of him, experiments with different pills left over in the medicine cabinet and before not too long, gets hooked,” added Lynch.  “Next thing you know, he’s selling them to his friends at school and the vicious cycle starts to spiral out of control.  By removing expired or unused medications from the household, you are reducing the risk of this happening in your home with your loved ones.”

Help Prevent Opioid Misuse at Home

Safe Storage of Medication

• Lock up medication that can be abused in a cabinet, drawer or medicine safe
• Keep all medication out of reach of children and pets
• Store medication in its original container
• Return medication that has expired or is no longer needed to a Drug Take Back Box

Keeping Tabs On Prescriptions

• Take all medications as prescribed
• Store prescriptions safely
• Dispose of medication properly
• Never share prescriptions drugs

For more information call 443-523-1790 or visit UnmaskAddiction.org