SFPD Taking Back Unwanted Prescription Drugs April 30, 2016

San Francisco, CA – On April 30, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. the San Francisco Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.  Bring your medications for disposal to any of the San Francisco Police Departments District Stations throughout San Francisco.  The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.

This initiative addresses a vital public safety and public health issue.  Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the U.S. are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses due to these drugs.  Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including from the home medicine cabinet. In addition, Americans are now advised that their usual methods for disposing of unused medicines—flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash—both pose potential safety and health hazards.

Four days after the first event, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amends the Controlled Substances Act to allow an “ultimate user” of controlled substance medications to dispose of them by delivering them to entities authorized by the Attorney General to accept them.  The Act also allows the Attorney General to authorize long term care facilities to dispose of their residents’ controlled substances in certain instances.  DEA is drafting regulations to implement the Act.  Until new regulations are in place, local law enforcement agencies like the San Francisco Police Department and the DEA will continue to hold prescription drug take-back events approximately every six months.

Please start preparing now and look through your medicine cabinets.

WE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING INTRA-VENOUS SOLUTIONS, NEEDLES, INHALERS OR PATCH STYLE MEDICATIONS.

ILLICIT SUBSTANCES SUCH AS METHAMPHETAMINE, MARIJUANA, ETC ARE NOT PART OF THIS INITIATIVE.

Information is also available at Drug Enforcement Administration website.

Drop off locations:

  • Central Police Station, 766 Vallejo Street. 415-315-2400
  • Southern Police Station, 850 Bryant Street. 415-553-1371
  • Bayview Police Station, 201 Williams Street. 415-671-2300
  • Mission Police Station, 630 Valencia Street. 415-558-5400
  • Northern Police Station, 1125 Fillmore Street. 415-614-3400
  • Park Police Station, 1899 Waller Street. 415-242-3000
  • Richmond Police Station, 461- 6th Avenue. 415-666-8000
  • Ingleside Police Station, #1 John V. Young Lane. 415-404-4000
  • Taraval Police Station, 2345- 24th Avenue. 415-759-3100
  • Tenderloin Police Station, 301 Eddy Street. 415-345-7300    
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