MADERA COUNTY – Anyone with unwanted medications will be able to drop them off when the Madera County Sheriff’s Office hosts the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) 6th National Take Back Initiative next month.
The Sheriff’s Office will provide two drop-off sites on Saturday Apr. 27, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.The two locations are:
Sheriff’s Headquarters, 14143 Road 28, Madera
Sheriff’s Substation, 48267 Liberty Dr., Oakhurst
The goal of the program is to allow citizens to deliver all of their unused, unwanted, or expired medications to law enforcement officials who will dispose of these controlled substances in a safe, secure, and non-hazardous manner, potentially saving lives and protecting the ecosystem.
All unwanted medications can be disposed of in secure collection boxes located at the drop-off sites.
Drugs can be disposed of in their original containers. People who dispose of medications in original containers are encouraged to remove any identifying information from the prescription label.
None of the medication will ever be counted, inventoried, or logged by law enforcement, nor will law enforcement handle any of the unwanted medication.
All solid dosage pharmaceutical products and liquids in consumer containers will 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 hazard posed by blood-borne pathogens.
In September, Madera County was among 107 agencies working with the DEA National Take Back Initiative. That collective effort brought in 23,329 pounds (more than 12 tons) of prescription medications from members of the public.
