Home Medical Waste - Project Medicine Drop

Over-the-counter and prescription medications should not be disposed of down the drain. Wastewater treatment facilities are not designed to remove pharmaceutical compounds and they may end up in your local waterways, and may eventually be found in drinking water. Properly disposing of unwanted and expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medications promotes a healthy aquatic environment and prevents accidental poisoning and intentional abuse.

The Somerset County Sheriff's Office and the Somerset County Solid Waste Management Division invite county residents to take advantage of the Rx Mission Drive-in/Drop-Off medicine-collection program. The program is held in conjunction with scheduled Somerset County Household Hazardous Waste drop-off events, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine. Sheriff's officers are on hand to accept unwanted or outdated prescription and over-the-counter medications from residents for safe disposal.  

Scheduled drop-offs in 2021 are as follows:

The Rx Mission Drive-in/Drop-Off program is sponsored by the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, the Somerset County Solid Waste Management Division and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Medications should be dropped off in their original packages or bottles. The name of the medication should be visible. Illegal drugs, liquid medications, needles and sharps should not be brought to the drop-off.

In Somerset County, needles and syringes of any kind can be dropped off at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, located at 110 Rehill Ave. in Somerville. NJ, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Call (908) 685-2200 for more information about the Safe Syringe Program. More information about the Safe Syringe Program is available through the NJ Hospital Association, 760 Alexander Road, Princeton, NJ 08543 – 609-275-4000.

Residents unable to participate in the scheduled drop-off events can take advantage of the Somerset County Sheriff’s Office Medicine Collection Drop Box, 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, no questions asked. The drop box is located on the lower level of the Somerset County Administration Building at 20 Grove St. in Somerville, near the entrance to the Sheriff’s Office.

For the convenience of residents, additional drop boxes are located at participating municipalities.
Following are municipal 24/7 medicine drop-box locations that are part of the program: Due to the pandemic, some drop boxes may not be available. Residents should call ahead.

    *  (Bernards - 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  After hours, use the phone in the station house)

For more information regarding medicine collection, contact Capt. Steve SanAntonio at (908) 231- 7168; Sheriff’s Officer Dave Daneker at (908) 231-7140, ext. 9; or visit www.co.somerset.nj.us/recycle and click on Home Medical Waste. Residents can receive notifications via text messages through Nixle by signing up at www.co.somerset.nj.us/about/emergency-alerts.

NOTE:  Under NO circumstances should needles be put in any type of container and placed out for recycling collections.  Needles and sharps should not be brought to First Saturday or Household Hazardous Waste drop-off events.

Related Link:

• American Medicine Chest Challenge
• 24/7 Medicine Drop Locations

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