Drop Off Unused Meds

Janet Hilden at Hometown Pharmacy during last year's event.

Newaygo County Medication Take-Back Events October 27th

The Headway Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition, the Drug Enforcement Agency, Newaygo County Sheriff’s Office, Newaygo Police Department, Fremont Police Department, and Grant Police Department are partnering to host medication collection events to help people safely dispose of unused and/or expired medications.
Medications can be dropped off Saturday, October 27th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the following locations:
Hometown Pharmacy in Newaygo
Family Health Care in White Cloud
Grant Fire Department
Fremont Fire Department

This event is free and anonymous; participants will not be asked any questions when dropping off medications. At Grant Fire and Fremont Fire, participants will be able to drive through the fire station to drop off their medications.
Items that will be accepted include: prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, ointments, sprays, inhalers, creams, needles, and pet medications. Items that will not be accepted include: bio-hazardous materials and household hazardous waste.
Newaygo County also has permanent collection boxes available at all law enforcement agencies, Newaygo Hometown Pharmacy, Family Health Care, TrueNorth Community Services and the Newaygo County Commission on Aging. At these locations, medications can be dropped off during business hours. Since these collection boxes started in 2014, 4,305 pounds of medication have been collected in Newaygo County.
The take back events and permanent collection boxes aim to address prescription drug abuse. Local survey data reveals that 47% of youth who have abuse medication in the past 30 days obtain the medication from their parents or grandparents medicine cabinets (SYS, 2016).
The event coincides with the DEA National Take Back Day, which is sponsored by the DEA to collect unused controlled substances. For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the October 27th Take Back Day event, go to the DEA Diversion website.