A new Prescription Drug Drop Box has been added to the lobby of the Morris County Administration and Records Building, which is located at 10 Court St. in Morristown, directly across from the Morris County Courthouse.  

The locked drop box is available to the public and Morris County employees during normal business hours, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  

Businesses and clinics are not permitted to use the collection box to dispose of medications.

“This is a central location for the public allowing people to discard their medications in a safe and secure area, while also offering convenience for county employees,” said Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon in a statement announcing the new location.

The new drop box is clearly labeled to identify items that may and may not be deposited.  

Acceptable items include pills, capsules, patches, vitamins, samples, pet medications and over-the-counter medications.  Medication packaging also will be accepted, such as pill bottles and small medication boxes.

Syringes, liquids, lances for diabetic testing, inhalers, thermometers and aerosol cans and trash are not accepted.

Since 2013, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office has been part of the successful Prescription Drop Box Program under the Community Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Morris, (an initiative of nonprofit Morris County Prevention is Key), in conjunction with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and numerous Municipal Police Departments within Morris County.  

The Community Coalition for a Safe and Healthy Morris looks to prevent and reduce the harmful effects of drugs in Morris County.  

Since 2013, there have been 26 drop boxes installed at various locations in Morris County, making it easier for county residents to dispose of unused or expired medications, said Barbara Kauffman, director of prevention services at Morris County Prevention is Key.

“I have been proud to work with both the Morris County Sheriff’s Office and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, to equip each of the Morris County Police Departments with a Prescription Drug Drop Box,’’ said Kauffman, who is the coordinator of the Community Coalition for a Safe & Healthy Morris.

The Morris County Sheriff’s Office collects the medications with 25 local police departments that host a collection unit.  The Sheriff’s Office has destroyed more than 30,000 pounds of medications in the last six years, including 6,563 pounds so far in the first half of 2018.

The medications are weighed, logged and stored prior to destruction

To find a list of Prescription Drug Drop Box locations, visit https://sheriff.morriscountynj.gov/community/drug/.