Making sure to keep track of your medications is very important. Here are some tips on how to monitor them:

- Count the pills in each of your prescription bottles regularly
- Keep track of the refills that you have done
-organize your prescriptions with a medication inventory list

Lock Your Meds provides an inventory tool that you can find here.     

Locking up your medication and encouraging others to do so as well can make a large impact on the amount of prescriptions that can get out into the community. Many people do not realize that they are accidentally supplying to users when they are not securing their medications. Here are some tips to make sure you are doing your part:

1. Take your prescription drugs out of the medicine cabinet and secure them in a place on you know about.

2. Tell relatives to lock up their medicine or keep it in a safe place.

3. Invest in a lock box so only you will have access to your medications.

For more information and tools, visit Lock Your Meds.     

The best was to dispose of unused or expired medications is to bring them to a secure drop box location or to a take back event. Flushing unused or expired medications can contaminate ground and drinking water.

If you must throw away the medications, do it safely and properly by following these steps:

1. Place the medication in a bad or disposable container, and mix with something else like soap and water or kitty litter. Then, seal the container tightly and throw it away.

2. Do not flush medications down the sink or toilet unless medication disposal guidelines specifically instruct you to do so.

3. Before throwing out an empty medicine container, scratch out all identifying information on the prescription label. THis will help protect your identity and personal health information.

4. Do no give your medicine to friends. The medicine that works for you could be dangerous for someone else.

5. When in doubt about proper disposal, talk to your pharmacist.

Somerset County:
Pittsfield Police Station
M-F, 8:00am-5:00pm
112 Somerset Avenue
Skowhegan Police Station
M-F, 8:00am-4:00pm
225 Water Street
Somerset Sherriff ’s Office
M-F, 8:00am-4:00pm
131 E. Madison Road, Madison
Fairfield Police Station
M-F, 8:30am-4:00pm
75 Water Street
Madison Police Station
M-F, 7:30am-4:00pm
26 Weston Avenue

Penobscot County:
Newport Police Station
M-F, 8:00am-4:00pm
27 Water Street
Penobscot Sherriff ’s Office
M-F, 8:00am-4:00pm
85 Hammond Street, Bangor

Call 2-1-1 to find other police departments
that accept medication disposal throughout
the year.

Keeping track of the medications that you keep in your home is very important. One way to make sure you know how many you should have at all times is to keep an inventory of all types of medication. Here is a medication inventory card, a great resource to help with keep track.