National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
Dane County – Safe Communities and the African American Opioid Coalition, in partnership with local law enforcement and community organizations, invite the public to participate in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on April 25, 2026. Safely turn in expired, unused, or unwanted prescription drugs at collection sites around Dane County.
Prescription drug misuse is a growing concern across the nation, with severe implications for public health and safety. Leftover and expired prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines can be found in every household in the county. Studies indicate that most misused prescription drugs come from family and friends, so safely disposing of unused medicine is essential. The
statistics regarding prescription drug misuse are alarming. According to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS), nearly 45.8% of American Adults used a prescription drug in the last 30 days and nearly 16 million Americans misuse prescription drugs each year. Unused or expired medicine should never be flushed or poured down the drain. Water reclamation facilities are not designed to remove all of them, and trace amounts of pharmaceuticals are showing up in our rivers and lakes.
To address these concerns, Safe Communities is hosting three drop-off sites on National Prescription Drug Take Back Day in Madison:
1. Elver Park – 1250 Mckenna Blvd Madison, WI 53719
2. Warner Park – 2930 N Sherman Ave, Madison, WI 53704
3. Mt. Zion Baptist Church – 2019 Fisher St, Madison, WI 53713
These locations will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 25, 2026, providing a safe way for individuals to dispose of unused or expired prescription medications. Law Enforcement officers and volunteers will be on hand to collect and securely transport the medications for proper disposal.
To ensure the success of Drug Take Back Day, the Wisconsin Department of Justice relies on assistance from the DEA, and the generous support of Fuchs Trucking, Covanta Energy, the Wisconsin State Patrol, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Wisconsin Department of Military Affairs, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Indiana State Police, Waukesha County, Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office, and all participating local law enforcement agencies.
Safe Communities encourages all community members to take advantage of this opportunity to clean out their medicine cabinets and contribute to the prevention of prescription drug misuse. By participating in National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, you can help protect our environment and keep medications out of the wrong hands.
GUIDELINES:
All prescriptions must be from a household – no businesses are allowed.
Bring: Prescription (controlled and non-controlled) and over-the-counter medications, ointments, patches, inhalers, non-aerosol sprays, creams, vials, and pet medications. Sharps will also be accepted.
Do Not Bring: Illegal drugs, acids, aerosol cans, bio-hazardous materials (anything containing a bodily fluid or blood), personal care products (shampoo, soaps, lotions, sunscreen), household hazardous waste (paint, pesticides, oil, gas), mercury thermometers. Participants may dispose of solid, non-liquid medication(s) by removing the medication from its container and disposing of it
directly into a disposal box or in a clear sealable plastic bag. Plastic pill containers should not be collected. Blister packages without the medications being removed are acceptable. Liquids will be accepted during this initiative. However, the liquids, creams, and sprays must be in their original packaging. Liquids without the original packaging will not be accepted.
Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative and should not be placed in collection containers.
For more information about National Prescription Drug Take Back Day or other Meddrop Boxes located around Dane County please contact Jim Wheeler at jwheeler@safecommunities.org.
Other National Prescription Drug Take Back Sites in Dane County:
- Belleville PD: 8am-8pm
- 61 Frederick St
- Blue Mounds PD: Mon-Thurs
- 11011 Brigham Ave
- Cottage Grove PD: 10am-2pm
- 210 Progress Dr
- Cross Plains PD: 10am-2pm
- 2417 Brewery Rd
- Deerfield PD: 10am-2pm
- 7 W Deerfield St
- Deforest PD: 10am-2pm
- 110 S Stevenson St
- Fitchburg PD: 8am-12pm
- 5520 Lacy Rd
- McFarland PD: 10am-2pm
- 6001 Broadhead St
- Marshall PD: 8am-1pm
- 130 Pardee St
- Mazomanie PD: 10am-2pm
- 133 Crescent St
- Mt Horeb PD: 9am-12pm
- 400 Blue Mounds St
- Shorewood PD: 10am-2pm
- 810 Shorewood Blvd
- Stoughton FD: 9am-11am
- 491 E Main St
- Sun Prairie PD: 9am-11am
- 300 E Main St
- Verona PD: 8am-12pm
- 111 Lincoln St
- Oakwood Village University Woods: 1-4pm
- 6250 Mineral Point Rd
- Oakwood Village Prairie Ridge: 1-4pm
- 5565 Tancho Rd
- Public Safety Building & City County Building Lobby: 10am-2pm
