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• Prescription Drug Drop Box & Sharps Collection

Prescription Drug Drop Box & Sharps Collection

Through a partnership with the Cambridge Public Health Department and the Cambridge Prevention Coalition, the Cambridge Police Department is now an approved controlled substance collection site for residents of the City of Cambridge.

The Cambridge Police Department is located at 125 Sixth Street and residents may anonymously deposit unused medications as well as needles and syringes at any time in the appropriate drop boxes located in the first floor lobby of the police station’s Records Unit.

Why citizens should turn in their unused prescription drugs:

• Children and animals could be poisoned if they find and swallow drugs.
• Drugs can be scavenged and illegally sold.
• Unused pharmaceuticals are environmental toxins; flushing them down the toilet or sink can release them into our drinking water and soil.

The Cambridge Police ask that residents comply with the following standards when making a deposit at the police department:

• Locate the collection box and place medications in a plastic bag provided at the location.
• Seal the bag and drop the bag into the box.
• Open containers of liquid and syringes are not accepted in this bin.

Cambridge residents can now deposit used needles and syringes into a sharps disposal container located near the drug drop box in the first floor lobby of the Cambridge Police Department located at 125 Sixth Street.

Guidelines for proper disposal of needles and syringes:

• Loose needles cannot be placed in the disposal container.
  
• Use puncture-proof containers. Non-transparent plastic bottles such as bleach bottles, detergent containers, and coffee cans are acceptable, but must be sealed with tape.
• Medications and other medical supplies cannot be placed in the kiosk.
• For other sharps disposal locations in Cambridge or to learn what to do if you find needles or syringes in public places, visit the health department’s needle and syringe disposal web page.  

For information on prescription drug collection as well as a list of items that will and will not be accepted, please click here.

Additional information on the Overdose Prevention and Education Network (OPEN) Project and the proper disposal of prescription drugs can be found at http://odprevention.org/.