Vermont's Prescription Drug Disposal System

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Every spring and fall, health departments and drug disposal sites around the country join the Drug Enforcement Agency in holding National Prescription Drug Take Back Days. This twice-yearly event provides a safe, convenient and responsible way to dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medications, while educating about the potential for medication misuse, accidental ingestion and overdose. During the 2020 Fall event, Vermonters disposed of 4,498 pounds of medication. 

The next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 24, 2021.

Find participating Take Back Day sites in Vermont at DEA.gov.

You can find prescription drug disposal sites at participating pharmacies and local sheriff's offices or police stations. Some law enforcement facilities may also have uniformed staff on-site trained to help community members with the safe and proper disposal of prescription drugs.

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Use the map above for detailed information on each specific facility, briefly described in the list below.
Tip: to narrow down the list to your area, use the search feature to type in your city, town or county.

Most facilities have prescription drug disposal drop boxes.
*Hand to staff.

The Law Enforcement Drug Disposal Pilot Project aims to reduce the barriers for law enforcement agencies to participate in drug disposal. Barriers include lack of available space to house disposed medication, time constraints of available staff, and resources to dispose of pharmaceuticals.

This pilot project will be housed within the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department, which will coordinate with other law enforcement agencies, including the thirteen other sheriff departments and local police departments, to ensure that all facilities have access to the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department to dispose of unused pharmaceuticals. Through an agreement with the law enforcement offices, the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department will utilize two sheriff deputies to travel around the state and collect disposed pharmaceuticals. The pharmaceuticals will then be housed within the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department evidence lockers and disposed of through the Drug Enforcement Agency on the biannual National Prescription Drug Take Back Days in April and October.

Before the medication is handed over to the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department will work with pharmacists and pharmacy students to evaluate the medication collected. The Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department will develop a system to track medication collected from law enforcement agencies. The pharmacy students will take a representative sample of disposed medication from each region or law enforcement agency and evaluate counts and types of pharmaceuticals collected.

I am interested in participating

Any pharmacy, hospital or long term care facility interested in having a permanent drug disposal kiosk onsite at their location can email the Vermont Prescription Drug Disposal Program Manager for more information.

Pharmacies are an ideal location for drug take-back kiosks. In many other countries, the pharmaceutical industry collaborates with government to offer drug disposal services at a wide array of participating pharmacies. These long-running programs provide safe drug disposal options to entire populations and play a pivotal role in protecting community health and the environment (Product Stewardship Institute).

How do disposal sites work?

• Gather unwanted or expired medication from your home
• Remove or obscure personal information from containers
• Place prescription directly into drop-off kiosk. No need to remove from packaging.
• Do not place loose pills or other mediations directly in kiosk. If needed, please place pills in a clear zippered bag.

What can I dispose of at the drop-off locations? Materials accepted vary by location but may include:

• Prescription medications
• Over-the-counter medications
• Medicated ointments and lotions
• Pet medications
• Consult the List of Prescription Drug Disposal Sites for details.

What can’t I dispose of at the drop-off locations?

• Illegal Controlled Substances
• Materials accepted vary by location. Consult the List of Prescription Drug Disposal Sites for details.