Prescription Medication Disposal Services

Panorama and Thurston County residents may use local drop-boxes at participating retail pharmacies and law enforcement offices to dispose of unwanted prescription medications. A few locations also have authorization to receive controlled substances. Social service public health education organizations also offer options.

Pharmacies

  • Puget Pharmacy, 1751 Circle Lane SE (Panorama residents only)
  • Walgreens, 1510 Cooper Point Rd SW, Olympia 98502
  • Providence Health and Services Pharmacy Dept., 413 Lilly Rd NE, Olympia 98506

Cities and Thurston County

  • Lacey

    • Lacey Police Department
    http://www.ci.lacey.wa.us/city-government/city-departments/police-department/services-and-permits/prescription-drug-disposal
    420 College Street SE, Lacey, 98503
    (360) 459-4333
    Drop box in lobby open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. excluding holidays
    Accepts controlled substances

  • Olympia

    • Thurston County Sheriff’s Office
    2000 Lakeridge Drive S.W. Building 3, Olympia, 98502
    (360) 867-2664
    Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
    Accepts controlled substances

  • Tumwater

    • Tumwater Police Department
    https://www.ci.tumwater.wa.us/departments/police/services/prescription-drop-box
    555 Israel Road, Tumwater, 98501
    (360) 754-4200
    Drop box in the front entrance open 24/7

  • Sheriff’s Office

    • See City of Olympia (above)

    Washington State

  • WA State Department of Ecology

    • https://ecology.wa.gov/Regulations-Permits/Guidance-technical-assistance/Dangerous-waste-guidance/Common-dangerous-waste/Pharmaceutical-waste

  • WA State Department of Health – Take Back Your Meds

    • http://www.takebackyourmeds.org/what-you-can-do/faqs/
    Scheduled to launch between spring to late fall 2020, creates a unified, statewide, medication return program that will give Washington residents free, convenient, and environmentally responsible options for disposing of unwanted medication. Drug manufacturers will fund the program at no cost to taxpayers. It will be operated by approved program operator(s). The Department of Health will oversee the establishment of the program, monitor on-going operations, manage enforcement when compliance issues arise, and evaluate program effectiveness.
    Learn more at “WA Secure Drug Take-Back Act”
    https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Mtgs/2018/HSQAMeetingPackets/OpioidPrescribing-April24/Shield-HB1047-DrugTake-BackUpdate.pdf

  • WAPC: WA Poison Center

    • https://www.wapc.org
    https://www.wapc.org/our-partners/our-partners/

    Federal

  • US Food and Drug Administration

    • https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/where-and-how-dispose-unused-medicines
    https://www.fda.gov/drugs/disposal-unused-medicines-what-you-should-know/drug-disposal-drug-take-back-locations

    Information Resources

  • MED-Project – What should you do with your unwanted and expired medication?

    • https://med-project.org

  • Sharps Disposal (and disposal of other hazardous materials)

    • https://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehhm/disposal.html#drugs

  • HazoHouse for household hazardous waste disposal

    • Located at the Thurston County Waste and Recovery Center, 2420 Hogum Bay Road NE in Lacey.
    https://www.co.thurston.wa.us/solidwaste/hazardous/haz-home.htm

    Donating

  • Wyoming Department of Health

    • https://www.singlecare.com/blog/donate-prescription-drugs/
    Accepts out-of-state donations of sealed medication five or more months before expiration date. Donors collect and prepare the bottles, fill out a public medication donation form and ship.

  • Iowa’s SafeNetRX

    • https://safenetrx.org/drug-donation/
    Any organization or individual in the country can donate medications in their original sealed container or in tamper-evident packaging. The expiration date should be at least six months after the date of the donation. Drugs with earlier expiration dates may be accepted if they are in high demand.

  • Sirum

    • https://www.sirum.org
    SIRUM directly accepts medicine from manufacturers, pharmacies, wholesalers, and health facilities. If you’re an individual with unused medicine to donate, you can donate through one of the partners.

  • World Health Organization

    • Guidelines for medicine donations –
    https://www.who.int/selection_medicines/emergencies/guidelines_medicine_donations/en/

    Supplement to Prescription Drugs Disposal article in June 2020 Panorama News

    Lacey, Washington