Prescription Drug Take Back Day

media release: Safe Communities and the African American Opioid Coalition, in partnership with local law enforcement and community organizations, invite the public to participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 26. Safely turn in expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs at 17 collection sites around Dane County on Saturday, and 6 other sites the week of the event.

Prescription drug misuse is a growing concern across the nation, with severe implications for public health and safety. Leftover and expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines can be found in every household in the county. Studies indicate that most misused prescription drugs come from family and friends, so safely disposing of unused medicine is essential. The statistics regarding prescription drug misuse are alarming. According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS), nearly 45.8% of American Adults used a prescription drug in the last 30 days and nearly 16 million Americans misuse prescription drugs each year. Unused or expired medicine should never be flushed or poured down the drain. Water reclamation facilities are not designed to remove all of them, and trace amounts of pharmaceuticals are showing up in our rivers and lakes.

To address these concerns, Safe Communities is hosting three drop-off sites on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in Madison: 

1. Elver Park - 1250 Mckenna Blvd Madison, WI 53719 

2. Warner Park - 2930 N Sherman Ave, Madison, WI 53704 

3. Mt. Zion Baptist - 2019 Fisher St., Madison, WI 53713 

These locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 26th, 2025, providing a safe way for individuals to dispose of unused or expired prescription medications. Law Enforcement officers and volunteers will be on hand to collect and securely transport the medications for proper disposal. 

To ensure the success of Drug Take Back Day, the Wisconsin Department of Justice relies on assistance from the DEA, and the generous support of Fuchs Trucking, Covanta Energy, the Wisconsin State Patrol, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Indiana State Police, Waukesha County, Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office, and all participating local law enforcement agencies. 

Safe Communities encourages all community members to take advantage of this opportunity to clean out their medicine cabinets and contribute to the prevention of prescription drug misuse. By participating in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, you can help protect our environment and keep medications out of the wrong hands.  

GUIDELINES: 

All prescriptions must be from a household – no businesses are allowed.

Bring: Prescription (controlled and non-controlled) and over-the-counter medications, ointments, patches, inhalers, non-aerosol sprays, creams, vials, and pet medications. Sharps will also be accepted. 

Do Not Bring: Illegal drugs, acids, aerosol cans, bio-hazardous materials (anything containing a bodily fluid or blood), personal care products (shampoo, soaps, lotions, sunscreen), household hazardous waste (paint, pesticides, oil, gas), mercury thermometers. 

Participants may dispose of solid, non-liquid medication(s) by removing the medication from its container and disposing of it directly into a disposal box or in a clear sealable plastic bag. Plastic pill containers should not be collected. Blister packages without the medications being removed are acceptable. 

Liquids will be accepted during this initiative. However, the liquids, creams, and sprays must be in their original packaging. Liquids without the original packaging will not be accepted. 

Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative and should not be placed in collection containers. 

For more information about National Prescription Drug Take Back Day or other Meddrop Boxes located around Dane County please visit safecommunities.org, or contact Tom Duval at tduval@safecommunities.org.  

Other National Prescription Drug Take Back Sites in Dane County

Please review the operation times of your local locations.

Location/Address

Time

Blue Mounds PD Drop box at PD business hours

April 26th: 8 am - 4:30 pm

Cross Plains Police Dept., 2417 Brewery Rd.

April 26th 10 am - 2 pm

McFarland Police Dept. 6001 Broadhead St 

April 26th: 10 am - 2 pm

Madison: Elver Park parking lot, 1201 McKenna Blvd.

April 26th:  10 am - 2 pm

Madison: Mt. Zion Baptist Church parking lot, 2019 Fisher St.

April 26th: 10 am - 2 pm

Madison: Warner Park, 2930 N Sherman Ave, Madison WI 53704

April 26th: 10 am - 2 pm

Marshall PD: 130 S. Pardee St.

April 24th 8 am - 4 pm

April 25th: 8 am - 1 pm

Mt. Horeb Police Dept., 400 Blue Mounds St.

April 26th: 9 am - 12 pm

Oregon Police Dept., 383 Park St.

April 26th: 9 am - 12 pm

Shorewood PD, 810 Shorewood Blvd., Madison WI 53705

April 26th: 10 am - 2 pm

Stoughton Fire Station, 401 E. Main St.

April 26th: 9 am - 11 am

Sun Prairie East District Police Station, 300 E. Main St.

April 26th: 9 am - 1 pm

Verona Police Dept./City Hall, 111 Lincoln St. Verona WI. 53593

April 26th: 9 am-2 pm

Veterans Affairs 2500 Overlook Terrace Madison WI

April 26th: 8 am - 12 pm

Waunakee Police Dept., 205 Klein Dr.

April 26th: 10 am - 12 pm

Exact Sciences: 650 Forward Dr. 

April 24th: 12 pm - 4 pm

Exact Sciences: 145 E Badger Rd. 

April 24th: 12 pm - 2 pm 

Deerfield Community Center: 10 Liberty St. #130 Deerfield WI 53531

April 26th: 9:30 am - 12 pm

UW-Madison: Dejope

April 23rd: 11 am - 2 pm

UW-Madison: Gordon

April 24th: 4 pm - 6 pm 

Oakwood Village Univ Woods 6205 Mineral Point Rd (West)

April 26th: 1 pm - 4 pm

Oakwood Village Prairie Ridge 5565 Tancho Dr (East)

April 26th: 1 pm - 4 pm

Attic Angel Community 8301 Old Sauk Rd, Middleton WI 53562

April 25th: 2 pm - 4 pm 

About Safe Communities:

Safe Communities is an injury prevention non-profit coalition that fosters safety and wellness for our community. We care about the health, well-being, and safety of all people in our community. By engaging a coalition of advocates, including those with lived experiences, we empathetically provide support and resources to vulnerable populations. We are saving lives together by confronting our community’s top safety concerns - Older adult falls, traffic crashes, suicide & drug harm, through innovative programs. 

We would love for you to stop by during the event to get any photos or videos you need. Please just reach out to Lilly at lroe@safecommunities.org and Tom at tduval@safecommunities.org beforehand so we can ensure there is someone available to talk with you when you arrive.