BRANCHBURG, NJ – Take advantage of the next Rx Mission Drive-in/Drop-Off and safely dispose of unwanted or outdated prescription drugs and over-the-counter medication. The free event will be held, rain or shine, on Saturday, Sept. 23, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Branchburg Township Public Works Garage, located at 34 Kenbury Road, Branchburg, NJ 08876. Medication should be in the original packaging with the name of the medication visible, and all personal information should be removed. Illegal drugs, needles and sharps should NOT be brought to the drop off.

“The purpose of this free program is to help protect the environment by getting rid of dangerous pharmaceuticals such as unwanted, unused and outdated medicine,” said Somerset County Sheriff Darrin Russo. “Through the support of our residents, for over 10 years our county has been safer because of the drop-off program.”

"Leftover medicine poses a serious threat when it’s flushed down the toilet or disposed of in the drain, because it can harm wildlife, contaminate bodies of water and end up in our drinking-water," he said.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, most people take prescription medication responsibly. However, in 2017 an estimated 18 million people (more than 6 percent of those 12-years of age and older) have misused medication at least once in the past year. The 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows an estimated 2 million Americans have misused prescription pain relievers for the first time between 2016 and 2017, which averages to about 5,480 first-time drug misuse per day.

Furthermore, the USDEA reports that prescription drugs, including opioids and antidepressants, are responsible for more overdose deaths than street drugs such as cocaine, heroin and methamphetamines. Many teenagers mistakenly believe prescription drugs are "much safer" than illegal drugs and prescription painkillers are not addictive.

RX Drop-Box
Residents can drop off their medication at the Somerset County Sheriff's Office medicine collection drop box, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., no questions asked. The DROP BOX is located on the lower level of the Somerset County Administration Building at 20 Grove St., in Somerville, near the entrance to the Sheriff's Office.

Drop-Box Locations in Somerset County
For the convenience of residents, participating municipalities have additional drop boxes sites at participating at the following locations: Bernards Township Police Department, 1 Collyer Lane, Basking Ridge, NJ 07920, 908-766-1122; Bound Brook Police Department, 226 Hamilton Street, Bound Brook, NJ 08805, 732-356-0800; Branchburg Township Police Department, 590 Old York Road at Route 202 North, Branchburg, NJ 08876, 908-526-3830; Bridgewater Township Police Department, 100 Commons Way, Bridgewater, NJ 08807, 908-722-4111; Franklin Township Police Department, 495 DeMott Lane, Somerset, NJ 08873, 732-873-5533; Green Brook Township Police Department, 111 Greenbrook Road, Green Brook, NJ 08812, 732-968-1188; Hillsborough Township Police Department, 379 S. Branch Rd., Hillsborough NJ 08844, 908-369-4323; Manville Police Department, 2 N. Main Street, Manville, NJ 08835, 908-725-1900; Montgomery Township Police Department, 2261 Van Horne Road, Belle Mead, NJ 08502, 908-359-3222; North Plainfield Police Department, 263 Somerset St., North Plainfield, NJ 07060, 908-769-2937; Raritan Borough Police Department, 20 First Street, Raritan, NJ 08869, 908-725-6700; South Bound Brook Police Department, 12 Main Street, South Bound Brook, NJ 08880, 732-356-0087; Warren Township Police Department, 44 Mountain Blvd., Warren, NJ 07059, 908-753-1146. Please note that liquids and syringes are not accepted at these locations.

For more information about medicine collection in Somerset County, contact Sgt. Joe Bialy at 908-231-7197.

The Rx Mission Drive-in/Drop-Off is a medicine-collection program sponsored by the Somerset County Sheriff's Office, Somerset County Solid Waste Management and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (USDEA). The program is held in conjunction with all Somerset County Household Hazardous Waste drop-off events.