MEDICATION DISPOSAL
MEDICATION DIVERSION is when a prescription medication is given or sold to another person. When a prescription is stolen it is also considered diversion.
Preventing diversion is one of the simplest ways to make an impact on the opioid epidemic.
Most prescription opioids that are misused come from a friend or family member. Sometimes the drugs are stolen, but more often they are willingly given or sold.
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The fact that opioid abuse so often starts in our own medicine cabinet means that every person can have a positive impact.
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By putting your medications in a lockbox and disposing of them when you no longer need them you can make a difference in the opioid epidemic.
of misused opioids come from
a friend or family member
So how do you dispose of your medications safely?
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The Big Red Barrel program will take back prescription and over the counter drugs, including controlled substances like prescription opioids.
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This service provides a location for people to dispose of prescription or over-the-counter pills, including controlled substances like OxyContin, Vicodin and Percocet for free. The Big Red Barrel program is a partnership with local law enforcement agencies. You’ll find a complete list of participating Washtenaw County sheriff and police departments below.
Participating Big Red Barrel Locations in Washtenaw County
Chelsea Police Department
311 S. Main St.
Chelsea, MI 48118
Maps and Directions
Accessible 24 hours a day.
Dexter Sheriff Station
8140 Main St.
Dexter, MI 48130
Maps and Directions
Accessible 24 hours a day.
Manchester Sheriff Station
912 City Rd.
Manchester, MI 48158
Maps and Directions
Accessible during business hours.
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Milan Police Department
35 Neckel Ct.
Milan, MI 48160
Map and Directions
Accessible during business hours.
Saline Police Department
100 N. Harris St.
Saline, MI 48176
Map and Directions
Accessible 24 hours a day.
Scio Township Sheriff Station
1055 N. Zeeb Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Map and Directions
Accessible 24 hours a day.
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Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office
2201 Hogback Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48108
Maps and Directions
Accessible during business hours.
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Ypsilanti Police Department
505 W. Michigan Ave.
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Maps and Directions
Accessible during business hours.
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Red Barrel Drug Take backs from January-October of 2016 in Washtenaw County
(data provided by Washtenaw County Police Office)
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705 pounds or 0.35 tons of opioids drugs were removed off the streets of Washtenaw county (Jan-Oct 2016), please continue to contribute to help curve the opioid epidemic in our community by properly disposing of unused medications!
Other locations around Washtenaw County for medication disposal:
Lenawee County - Big Red Barrel Sites
Livingston County - Big Red Barrel Sites
Oakland County - Operation Medicine Cabinet
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In addition, all Michigan State Police posts across the state now serve as collection points for prescription drugs. Medications can be turned in Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., excluding holidays. No appointment is needed. Liquids, inhalers, patches or syringes are not accepted. Visit the Michigan State Police Post page for locations.
Other locations in Michigan state for medication disposal:
To find medication disposal locations all over the state of Michigan, please check out M-OPEN Drug Disposal information and resources page which has a map with all the current locations.
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You can also dispose of unwanted/unused opioid medications safely and freely at Drug Take-Back events in your community, these usually take place on weekends, in public spaces for a 2-4 hours.
Medications of any type should never be flushed down the toilet because they can contaminate our water sources and environment.
Need more details? Contact the Opioid Project
We are here to help people get involved in ending the opioid epidemic.
Want to find out more about treatment?
Washtenaw County's treatment facilities are can help you recover.
Page material adapted from the following sources:​
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Washtenaw County, Michigan. (n.d.) Washtenaw County Pharmaceutical Take-Back Program. Retrieved from http://www.ewashtenaw.org/government/departments/environmental_health/recycling_home_toxics/medication_disposal/frontpage
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Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). Results from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings, NSDUH Series H-48, HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4863. Retrieved from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUHresultsPDFWHTML2013/Web/NSDUHresults2013.pdf