photo by: Douglas County Sheriff's Office

A Douglas County Sheriff's Office vehicle is pictured in January 2022.

This story was updated at 4 p.m. on Monday, October 14, 2024.

Douglas County residents can remove expired and unneeded medications from their homes as the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Lawrence Police Department will operate National Prescription Drug Take Back Day collection sites in Lawrence on Oct. 26.

The Sheriff’s Office drive-thru site will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot outside the Douglas County Courthouse, 1100 Massachusetts St., and will accept — anonymously — expired or unused prescription and over-the-counter medications.

“We offer these events so that residents can have a safe and convenient way to dispose of unused medications. When we face the dangers of overdoses in our community, it’s important to offer this option so people can clean out their cabinets and know medications will be disposed of safely,” Sheriff Jay Armbrister said in a news release Monday.

The Lawrence Police Department will have a drop off site from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 5100 Overland Park Drive.

Law enforcement agencies across the country are partnering with the Drug Enforcement Administration for the 27th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day event.

The goal behind National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is to provide a safe disposal of unneeded medications from homes to prevent misuse or opioid addiction. Using the Take Back site also eliminates improper environmental disposal into the water supply. All items collected are delivered to the DEA to be safely destroyed.

The Sheriff’s Office cannot accept needles, sharps or inhalers. Veterinary drugs are accepted.

On the most recent National Drug Take Back Day in April, 4,607 law enforcement agencies across the country participated and collected a total of 335 tons of unused or expired medication.