The Licking County Prevention Partnership announced the pilot program for the continuous collection and safe disposal of prescription drugs and over-the counter medications called RxCollect on November 1, 2010. Licking County residents can dispose of their unused and expired prescription and non-prescription medications at one of seven law enforcement agencies throughout the county. All collected medications are safely disposed of in accordance with applicable law.
DROP-OFF BIN LOCATIONS:
- Licking County Sheriff’s Office, 155 E Main Street, Newark, Ohio 43055
- Newark Police Department, 39 S. 4th Street, Newark, Ohio 43055
- Pataskala Police Department, 430 S. Main Street, Pataskala, Ohio 43062
- Johnstown Police Department, 599 D. Main St., Johnstown, Ohio 43031
- Hebron Police Department, 934 W. Main St., Hebron, Ohio 43025
- Granville Police Department, 141 E. Broadway, Granville, Ohio 43023
- Heath Police Department, 1287 Hebron Rd., Heath, Ohio 43056
HOURS FOR ALL LOCATIONS:
- The disposal hours for all locations are during normal business hours.
Acceptable items for disposal include:
- Unused and expired prescription drugs
- Unused and expired over-the-counter medications
- Pet medications
- Vitamins
Items NOT ACCEPTED for disposal include:
- Needles, syringes and lancets
- Inhalers
- Liquid medications such as cough syrups
Prescription Drug Take Back Day:
The LCPP coordinates two (2) Take Back Days each year (one in the fall and one in the spring) in partnership with local law enforcement. Licking County residents can safely and anonymously dispose of any prescription or over-the-counter medications at any of the designated drop off sites throughout the county. Drop off sites change with each event, so check back regularly for up-to-date information.
NEXT TAKE BACK DAY is: Saturday, October 15, 2016 from 10am till 2pm. Residents should remove all pills from their packaging and place them in a clear Ziploc bag. Liquids and creams should remain in their original container with pharmacy labels removed or blacked out.
Why should Licking County residents use the RxCollect program?
Public Safety–According to statistics from the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), prescription pain relievers are the new drug users’ drug of choice versus marijuana or cocaine. By partnering with law enforcement in this program, it allows residents to bring in prescription pain killers such as oxycodone and hydrocodone commonly known as Percocet, Vicodin and OxyContin. Removing these narcotics from the medicine cabinet and properly disposing of them will help to reduce the potential of drug abuse and accidental drug misuse.
Environmental Concerns–Prescription and non-prescription are also being found in our rivers, streams and ground water. These drugs are considered to be “emerging contaminants of concern” partly due to the harmful effects that low concentrations are already having on the fish population. Our existing wastewater treatment plants and septic systems are not designed to remove these contaminants. Residents can help to reduce the amount of these contaminants in our environment by utilizing the collection bins instead of flushing unwanted drugs down the toilet or putting them in the trash.
In the News:
- New incinerator will dispose of illegal, prescription drugs (10/5/2011–Newark Advocate)
RxCollect Partners:
- Pathways of Central Ohio
- Licking County Sheriff’s Office
- Newark Police Department
- Pataskala Police Department
- Heath Police Department
- Johnstown Police Department
- Hebron Police Department
- Granville Police Department
- Heath Police Department
- Mental Health and Recovery for Licking & Knox Counties
RxCollect is a project of the Licking County Prevention Partnership (LCPP) a prevention coalition supported by Pathways of Central Ohio
and is funded in part by Mental Health and Recovery for Licking and Knox Counties, United Way of Licking County and the Cardinal Health Foundation.
