Franklin’s Medication Collection Box Nets Over 2,000 Pills

Helping keep prescription drugs off the streets

March 21, 2013 • Saved under Other Organizations
Press release

In May of 2012, the Franklin Mayor’s Drug Task Force, in collaboration with the Franklin Police Department, the Franklin Fire Department, and LRGHealthcare installed a permanent Medication Collection and Disposal Box in the lobby of the Franklin Police Department.

The Medication Collection box was installed to address the vital public health and safety issue of prescription drug misuse/abuse.  By providing a safe and secure location for community members to dispose of unused or unwanted medications, the opportunity for these medications to fall into the wrong hands is greatly diminished. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 70% of those who abuse prescription medications get them from family or friends, often from the medicine cabinet.

Recently, pharmacists from LRGHealthcare have collaborated with the Franklin Police Department to inventory the contents of the Medication Collection Box prior to disposal. “The good news is – it’s working!” says Melissa Rizzo, Chairperson of the Leadership Committee of the Franklin Mayor’s Drug Task Force.

In just over 4 months, 126 pounds of unused or expired medications have been taken from the Medication Collection Box. “Approximately 2,300 pills have been collected that were identified as a controlled substance, so things like Vicodin and Oxycodone are being taken off the streets” says Rizzo.

Controlled substances like Oxycodone, Fentanyl, and Vicodin have all been among the inventoried medications so far. These drugs are among the most abused, and often the ones stolen from medicine cabinets and pharmacies. On a regular basis, LRGH and the Franklin Police Department will be conducting inventories of medications that are being collected so that progress can be reported to the community.

If you have unused or expired medications, the medication collection box is located in the lobby of the Franklin Police Department at 5 Hancock Terrace, and the following guidelines apply:

  • Collection box is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
  • Only pharmaceutical drugs are to be placed in the box (prescription or over-the-counter medications).
  • No needles, syringes, or lancets will be collected. If you need to dispose of these items, Franklin Regional Hospital has specific collection days for “sharps.” Please call 934-2060 for more information.
  • This voluntary collection/disposal process is free and anonymous.
  • The collection box is tamper-proof.
  • Any questions regarding the collection box can be directed to the Franklin Police Department at 934-2535.

For more information on safe and secure storage of medications, and for tips on how to talk to your family about prescription drug abuse, please click on  the Franklin Mayor’s Drug Task Force logo at FranklinNH.org.