About two thousand pounds of unwanted, and potentially dangerous, medicines and drugs have been turned in at police departments in San Mateo County, rather than thrown into the trash, flushed down the toilet, left in medicine cabinets, or taken inappropriately, said county Supervisor Adrienne Tissier.
That record has earned San Mateo County’s Pharmaceutical Disposal Program a 2007 Achievement Award from the National Association of Counties (NAC). Now the program is in the NAC’s database and is available as a model for counties all over the country.
The county’s program started with four places where people could drop off unwanted medications: police stations in Daly City, San Bruno and Pacifica, and the Sheriff’s Office on the third floor of the county courthouse at 400 County Center in Redwood City.
In April 23, the program expanded to include additional disposal bins at several other police departments, including Atherton’s.
All medications dropped off should remain in their original containers, with private, identifiable information removed. The program does not accept illegal substances, such as marijuana, ecstasy, or methamphetamines.
