JEFFERSON CO., Pa. (EYT) – Keeping prescription medication from getting into the wrong hands has become streamlined in the last year at police departments in Jefferson County.
(In the photo above, unwanted or unused prescription medications are loaded in a truck to be destroyed)
Police departments have moved from a few drug takeback day events a year to having drop boxes at their buildings, so residents can bring unused or unwanted over-the-counter or prescription medications and even vitamins in when it’s more convenient for them.
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s office received a grant to buy drop boxes, also called MedReturn boxes.
In Brookville, a drop box is located in the courthouse on Main Street. There are also boxes at departments in Punxsutawney, Brockway, and Reynoldsville. There is also a drop-off box at Brockway Pharmacy.
“We typically get the most from Punxsy and Brookville,” Sheriff Carl Gotwald said. “We get about 200 pounds every three months.”
On Tuesday, Gotwald brought 208 pounds of medications to Clarion for the pickup.
Gotwald estimates since the program began, 1 1/2 tons of medications have been collected in the county.
Soldiers from the Pa. National Guard work with agents from the Attorney General’s office to transport the medications where they will be incinerated.
The grant money came from a partnership that included the state District Attorneys Association and the Pennsylvania American Water.
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