Search
Medicine Return Program
Today,
medicine cabinets are full of unwanted or expired
medications. Many of these medications if mismanaged pose serious safety
and environmental threats ranging from child poisoning, illegal use, to
contamination of our streams and drinking water.
Placing medicines in the trash or flushing them down the drain may seem like the easy answer, but medicine in unsecured trash bins can be stolen and wastewater treatment plants do not effectively remove these drugs from our environment. As a result, measurable amounts of drugs end up in Puget Sound.
Perhaps most importantly, getting rid of unused medicines in a safe manner will help reduce access to drugs that could be abused. Misused prescription drugs are now the illicit drug of choice among 12- and 13-year-olds. Three in five teens say prescription drugs are easy to get from parents’ medicine cabinets. Drug overdoses have also surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of accidental deaths in Washington for 35- to 54-year-olds. More compelling evidence, along with citations, can be found on www.takebackyourmeds.org.
So what should you do with those old medications? Fortunately, there are several good options for safely disposing of old or excess medications in Thurston County.
What are "Controlled Substances?"
Controlled substances are narcotics such as OxyContin and Vicodin. To find out which locations below accept narcotics, look for the green checkmark symbol.
Where to Take Meds
Thurston County Sheriff’s Office - (360) 867-2664
2000 Lakeridge Drive S.W. Building 3 in Olympia.
Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Accepts
controlled substances
Lacey Police Department - (360) 459-4333
420 College Street SE, Lacey, WA 98503
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Accepts
controlled substances
Mason County Fire District #2
460 NE Old Belfair Highway, Belfair, WA 98528
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Accepts
controlled substances
Mason County Sheriff's Office
- (360) 427-9670 x 313
322 N. 3rd Street, Shelton, WA
Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Accepts
controlled substances
Rainier City Hall - (360)
446-2265
102 Rochester Street W, Rainer
Open Monday-Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Accepts
controlled substances
Tenino Police
Department - (360) 264-2626
358 McClellan St. S., Tenino, WA 98589
Prescription drug drop box is available Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m. to
4:00 p.m.
Accepts
controlled substances
Tumwater Police
Department - (360) 754-4200
555 Israel Road, Tumwater, WA 98501
The Tumwater Police Department's medicine drop box is available
Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the department's City Hall
location.
Accepts
controlled substances
Yelm
Police Department - (360) 458-5701
206 Mckenzie Ave. SE, Yelm, WA 98597
Open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Accepts
controlled substances
Group Health Cooperative - (360) 923-7600
700 Lilly Rd NE, Olympia, WA 98506
Group Health is open Monday through Friday from 9:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Does
NOT ACCEPT controlled substances.
Contact Us
Call Thurston County Public Works at (360) 867-2491 or e-mail ThurstonSolidWaste@co.thurston.wa.us.
This page last updated:
