MORRIS COUNTY — Morris County employees and residents now have an additional location, inside the county government complex in Morristown, to safely and conveniently dispose of unwanted or leftover prescription drugs.
A new Prescription Drug Drop Box has been added by the Morris County Sheriff’s Office to the lobby of the Morris County Administration and Records Building, which is located at 10 Court Street in Morristown, directly across from the Morris County Courthouse.
Parsippany has a Prescription Drug Dog Box located at Parsippany-Troy Hills Police Department, 3339 Route 46.
The new Morristown locked drop box is available to the public and Morris County employees during normal business hours, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
It is important to note that businesses or clinics may not use the collection box to dispose of medications.
“This is a central location for the public allowing people to discard their medications in a safe and secure area, while also offering convenience for county employees,” said Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon.
“We fully support the Sheriff’s initiative as another positive step to deal with the opioid crisis we are facing in Morris County,’’ said Morris County Freeholder Director Doug Cabana.
The new drop box is clearly labeled to identify items that may and may not be deposited.
Acceptable items include pills, capsules, patches, vitamins, samples, pet medications and over-the-counter medications. Medication packaging also will be accepted, such as pill bottles and small medication boxes.
Not acceptable: syringes, liquids, lances for diabetic testing, inhalers, thermometers and aerosol cans, and of course any type of trash.
Since 2013, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office has been part of the successful Prescription Drop Box Program under the Community Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Morris, (an initiative of nonprofit Morris County Prevention is Key), in conjunction with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and numerous Municipal Police Departments within Morris County.
The Community Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Morris looks to prevent and reduce the harmful effects of drugs in Morris County.
Since 2013, there have been 26 drop box installed at various locations in Morris County, making it easier for county residents to dispose of unused or expired medications, said Barbara Kauffman, Director of Prevention Services at Morris County Prevention is Key.
“I have been proud to work with both the Morris County Sheriff’s Office and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, to equip each of the Morris County Police Departments with a Prescription Drug Drop Box,’’ said Kauffman, who is the coordinator of the Community Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Morris.
The Morris County Sheriff’s Office collects the medications with 25 local police departments that host a collection unit. The Sheriff’s Office has destroyed more than 30,000 pounds of medications in the last six years, including 6,563 pounds so far in the first half of 2018.
The medications are weighed, logged and stored prior to destruction.
Sheriff James M. Gannon, who has been an advocate in the fight against the opioid epidemic said, “The gateway to this disease often begins with legally prescribed medicine that is overused or used by people other than the patient. My hope is that by collecting and destroying unused medications, we lessen the access and thereby block potential beginnings.”
To find a list of Prescription Drug Drop Box locations across the county click here.
