INDEPENDENCE – The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting a collection site for the DEA’s Spring 2025 Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Buchanan County Public Health/Emergency Operations Center, 1210 First Street West, in Independence.
Persons can drop off unused, expired or unwanted drugs and medications, including veterinary medications, at this location. For participant convenience, they will be operating out of the Sheriff’s Command Trailer in the front parking lot. This will be to offer a “drive up, drop off†type of service for participants.
While this initiative does not include sharps and needles, those items will still be collected and transferred to Buchanan County Health Center for proper disposal for participant convenience. Please be sure that all sharps and needles are in a puncture resistant container, such as a laundry detergent bottle, for safety purposes when handling.
The purpose of this event is to allow citizens to safely and properly dispose of unused, unwanted or expired drugs and medications, keeping them from contaminating landfills and water supplies. It also helps combat the growing problem of prescription drug and medication abuse among teens and young adults, which can oftentimes lead to unintentional overdose deaths.
Questions or comments about this event can be directed to Deputy Cory Hartmann at 319-334-2568.
Earlier this year a vending machine and supplies were purchased through a national lawsuit referred to as the ‘Opioid Settlement.’ In addition to the Opioid Settlement funds, support for the machine and supplies came from Buchanan County Substance Use Coalition and Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Your Life Iowa and I-Smile).
The vending machine is located at Public Health and offers:
- Narcanâ„¢ (Naloxone) an emergency medication for opioid overdose reversal.
- Sharps (needle) containers.
- Deterra bags and Dispose RX packets for home medication deactivation.
- Toothbrushes (child, youth, adult).
- Condoms.
All items are free and also available in the Public Health office and at Pathways, 1827 First Street West, Suite C.
Public Health Director Griffin Hickey emphasizes the Narcanâ„¢ and medication deactivation kits are not only for illicit drug use, but also in the case someone accidentally overdoses on a prescription, i.e. someone with a failing memory or if a prescription causes a memory loss or grogginess and they forget they took a dose.
If you miss the event you are encouraged to drop off unused, expired, unwanted drugs (legal or otherwise), or medications (including veterinary medications), at the following current drop box locations:
- Buchanan County Health Center (North door 24-hours. Accepts sharps.)
- Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office (Outside 24-hours)
- Hartig Drug (Business hours)
- Jesup City Hall (Lobby – business hours)
- Ryan Pharmacy (Business hours)
Drop boxes are available year-round for anonymous disposal of any and all types of unwanted drugs and medications, including illegal drugs. Pills and medications do not need to be in the original package. Items not accepted include inhalers, test strips, thermometers, glass, gauze, sharps, or other non-drug products and equipment. Individual boxes may have other restrictions listed.
New drug disposal boxes are being labeled and installed. In addition to replacing the Buchanan County Sheriff Department box, new boxes will be placed at Buchanan County Public Health, Winthrop, and Fairbank.
