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Medication Take-Back
The Town of Erie offers a twice-a-year event and year-round service to residents, making it convenient for you to dispose of your unused and unwanted household medications (controlled, over-the-counter, pet medications). No sharps are permitted.
DEA Drug Take-Back Day
The Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day aims to provide a safe, convenient, and responsible means of disposing of prescription drugs while also educating the general public about the potential for abuse of medications. The event is held twice annually, in April and October.
- In 2023, 378 pounds were collected in April.
- In 2022, 410 pounds were collected in April and 203 pounds in October.
- In 2021, 140 pounds were collected in April and 132 pounds in October.
Let's continue to collect more at each event!
Details
October TBD
10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Erie Police Department
1000 Telleen Avenue, Erie
More
For information, please email or call 303-926-2848.
- What medications or drugs are accepted?
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Accepted
The following items are accepted at the Medication Take-Back events:- Prescription drugs
- Over-the-counter medications
- Epi-pens (needle must be closed)
- Liquid form
NOT Accepted
The following items are NOT accepted at the Medication Take-Back events:- Radioactive
- Sharp needles like syringes.
- Illegal substances
- Is the event Free?
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The Medication Take-Back events are FREE!
There is no need to purchase a bag for this event.
If you will need to dispose of drugs safely and cannot make it to an event, we offer small plastic bags with return postage paid for $4.20. - Am I required to purchase a drug bag?
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There is no need to purchase a bag for this event.
If you will need to dispose of drugs safely and cannot make it to an event, we offer small plastic bags with return postage paid for $4.20.
- Do we need to remove labels from bottles?
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We do not require labels to be removed. The drugs collected (and their bottles) are incinerated which removes any ability to trace any medication back to an individual.
- Are liquid medications allowed?
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Yes! We do accept liquid prescriptions at the Medication Take-Back events.
- Do you accept vitamins?
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Yes, we do accept unwanted vitamins at the Medication Take-Back events.
- Do you accept pet medications?
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Yes! We do accept pet medications at the Medication Take-Back event.
- Do you accept 'sharps'?
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No, we cannot accept sharps - unless they are still with the medicine in the original packaging.
- Can we drop-off medications anytime?
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The Police Department only accepts medications twice a year in one-day (four-hour events) in the Spring and Fall.
Outside of the events, we offer an envelope for you to mail medications for a fee of pre-paid postage $4.20.
You might consider other programs listed on https://www.erieco.gov/1336/Medication-Take-Back
Year-round Disposal
Offers Erie residents a way to clear their homes of the medications which are no longer needed.
Why?
- Safety of loved ones! Unused medications could fall into the hands of small children and cause accidental poisoning.
- Protect our environment. Flushing or trash disposal of unused and unwanted medications can cause pollution of lakes, streams, and water supplies.
How?
- Residents purchase a TakeAway Medication Recovery System envelope at the Erie Police Station. The envelope costs $4.20 and is available for purchase at the Erie Police Department (1000 Telleen Avenue, Erie) Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Fill the prepaid postage, tamper-evident envelope with medications, including controlled substances (Schedules II-V).
- Seal the envelope with the special tamper-evident seal.
- Drop off at any U.S. Postal Office.
More
Additional locations are available. Visit: