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The Elizabethtown Police Department collects unwanted pharmaceuticals (prescription medications) at the police station during normal business hours (Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.) and at the rear of the station 24-hours a day. Officers also collect unwanted pharmaceuticals at the Elizabethtown Senior Center on the 3rd Wednesday of each month between 10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. The Senior Center is located at 70 South Poplar Street in Elizabethtown.

The Police Department will accept pills, gel tabs, capsules, liquid prescriptions, and medical patches. When dropping off unwanted pharmaceuticals, residents are asked to remove pills from the original container and place the pills in a clear plastic bag that can be sealed. When bagged, gel pills should be kept separate from solid pills and capsules. The original container can be disposed of as trash. For all other unwanted pharmaceuticals, all labels should be removed and material should be placed in a bag for easy disposal. 

The Elizabethtown Police Department, in collaboration with Elizabethtown Area Communities That Care, started its Drug Take Back Program in 2012. Since that time, the police department has collected well over 1,000 pounds of unwanted prescription drugs from the community. The department is able to provide the 24-hour takeback through a partnership with the Rite Aid Pharmacy KidCents Foundation.

Prescription drugs need to be disposed of properly. Flushing unused medications or throwing them into the trash can have adverse effects on the environment. Prescription drug abuse is the fastest growing public health threat facing the nation today, with most of those controlled substances found in our own medicine cabinets. Keeping medications out of the wrong hands is a critical step in solving the growing problem of pharmaceutical drug abuse.

Should you have questions or need additional information on the collection of unwanted pharmaceuticals please contact the Elizabethtown Police Department at (717) 367-6540.