Brownwood News – The Early Police Department is pleased to announce that it is now an official drop off location for unused prescription medication. The Early Police Department was awarded an unused prescription medication disposal bin through the West Central Texas Council of Government in Abilene which services Brown County. The West Central Texas Council of Government received a grant from the USDA to supply the pharmaceutical collections systems to several agencies including Stephens County, Coleman County, Hamlin PD, Eastland County, Comanche County and Early PD.

The medication disposal bin is where prescription and over-the counter medications can be dropped in receptacle box for proper disposal. Needles, medical waste, batteries and illegal drugs are not accepted. Medications are dropped into a secure lock-box and later sent to a disposal service where medications are incinerated according to DEA destruction standards.

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The Early Police Department regularly gets calls from individuals wanting to dispose of either old medications or medications from a deceased family member. By law, a person cannot keep prescriptions medications prescribed to another person. Many people try to dispose of the medication by flushing the unused medications into the sewer system.  Because wastewater treatment plants are not designed to remove all of the residual medication even after the water has been treated this residual medication can end up on streams, rivers, and lakes.  It can also be harmful to our environment hurting fish, other aquatic wildlife, and wildlife who drink from the water.  Help do your part to keep our water source cleaner and safer by disposing of your medication properly.

The medication disposal box is available for public to drop off medications during regular business hours Monday – Friday 8 am to 5 pm at the Early Police Department 960 Early Blvd in Early.