Operation Medicine Cabinet: Dispose Prescription Meds Safely

Do you have unused or expired prescriptions in your medicine chest? The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office can help you get rid of them safely.

On April 28, the seventh "Operation Medicine Cabinet" (OMC) kicks off in Pinellas County. The PCSO, with LiveFree! Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Pinellas County will be collecting medications for disposal.

The purpose of OMC is to teach and raise awareness of the problem of prescription drug abuse.

The public is invited to stop by any one of the locations on Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and drop off prescription medications with no questions asked. No biohazard items or needles will be accepted.

Fourteen sites countywide, including several in South Pinellas County, will be set up to gather unwanted medications. The drop-off sites will be at various Walgreens, Sweetbay and Publix parking lots, including Seminole Mall and Westfield Countryside Mall parking lots.

Closer to Gulfport, the OMC program will be at these locations:

• Sweetbay - 7491 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg (Southeast corner of Fourth Street N & 76 Avenue  N)
• Sweetbay - 6095 Ninth Ave. N, St. Petersburg (9th Avenue N west of Tyrone Boulevard)
• Walgreens - 5701 22 Ave. S, Gulfport (Northwest corner Gulfport Blvd & 57th St S)
• Sweetbay - 955 62 Ave S, St Petersburg (Northwest corner of Dr. MLK Jr. St. S & 62 Avenue S)
• Sweetbay - 6851 Gulfport Blvd., South Pasadena (Gulfport Boulevard west of Oleander Way S)
• Walgreens - 10551 Gulf Blvd., Treasure Island (Southeast corner of Gulf Boulevard & 106 Avenue)
• Dolphin Village Shopping Center - 4655 Gulf Blvd, St. Pete Beach (Gulf Blvd north of 46 Avenue)

The actual drop-off sites will not be located inside the stores, but in their respective parking lots. People wanting to leave their drugs should look for a law enforcement presence at each of the sites.

This year, the Strategic Diversion Task Force Coalition is sponsoring the OMC, along with nine other agencies in Pinellas County.  

• Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
• St. Petersburg Police Department
• Clearwater Police Department
• Largo Police Department
• St. Pete Beach Police Department
• Pinellas Park Police Department
• Tarpon Springs Police Department
• Treasure Island Police Department
• Gulfport Police Department

Last year, the PCSO collected more than one thousand pounds of unwanted and unused medications. Officials called that amount an "all-time record" for the program. To date, the total collected weight of all OMC operations amount to more than 2.5 tons of medications.

Those who cannot participate in the April 28 event may leave expired or unneeded medications in the permanent drop-box at the Sheriff's Administration Building at 10750 Ulmerton Road in Largo, or at the North District Station at 737 Louden Avenue in Dunedin. However, those two drop-boxes will be closed temporarily during the event.

For more information, contact the PCSO Public Information Office at 727-582-6221, or visit the PCSO website.