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Medication Disposal & Abuse Prevention
To help reduce the risk of accidental exposure, poisoning, or medication misuse, there are several permanent medication drop box locations in New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender counties, referred to as the "Tri-County Region," where unwanted, unused and expired medications can be properly disposed of for free. View a downloadable list of dropbox locations (PDF).
Please note: needles, sharps, liquids, or biohazard materials are not accepted at drop box locations for safety reasons. To safely dispose of needles or sharps, follow these guidelines.
Medication Drop-Box Locations (PDF)
New Hanover County
Cape Fear Pharmacy
5235 S College Road, Wilmington
Phone: 910-798-0900
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 am to 6 pm; Saturday, 9 am to 1 pm.
Carolina Beach Police Department
1121 N Lake Park Boulevard, Carolina Beach
Phone: 910-458-2540
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am-5 pm.
CVS Pharmacy
4600 Oleander Drive, Wilmington
Phone: 910-392-1921
Hours: Open 24/7
NHC Historic Courthouse - Room 201
300 Princess Street, Wilmington
Phone: 910-798-4535
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.
NHC Sheriff's Office - Front Desk
3950 Juvenile Center Road, Castle Hayne
Phone: 910-798-4200
Hours: Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
NHRMC Outpatient Pharmacy
2131 S 17th Street, Wilmington
Phone: 910-667-5181
Monday through Friday, 8 am to 7 pm, Saturday through Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm.
NHRMC Emergency Department North
151 Scotts Hill Medical Dr., Wilmington
Phone: 910-662-9000
Monday through Friday, 8 am to 7 pm, Saturday through Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm.
UNCW Police Department
5126 Lionfish Dr., Wilmington
Phone: 910-962-2222
Hours: Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
UNCW Pharmacy
2nd Floor, DePaolo Hall, Wilmington
Phone: 910-962-3016
Hours: Fall and Spring Semester, Monday through Wednesday 8 am to 5 pm, Thursday 9 am to 5 pm, Friday 8 am to 5 pm.
Walgreens
4521 Oleander Drive, Wilmington
Phone: 910-313-6794
Hours: Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Winter Park Discount Drugs
5220 Wrightsville Avenue, Wilmington
Phone: 910-791-2346
Hours: Open Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm and Saturday 9 am to 5 pm.
Market Street Pharmacy
1612 Market Street, Wilmington
Phone: 910-763-0845
Hours: Open Monday through Friday 9 am to 6 pm and Saturday 9 am to 1 pm.
Seashore Drugs
2059 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington
Phone: 910-762-6278
Hours: Open Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm and Saturday 9 am to 5 pm.
Brunswick County
Boiling Springs Police Department
9 E Boiling Spring Road, Southport
Phone: 910-363-0011
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 pm.
Brunswick County Sheriff's Office
70 Stamp Act Drive NE, Bolivia
Phone: 910-253-2777
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm.
Brunswick County Sheriff's Office
10176 Beach Drive SW, Calabash
Phone: 910-579-7030
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm.
Leland Police Department
102 Town Hall Drive, Leland
Phone: 910-371-1100
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.
Ocean Isle Beach Police Department
2 West 3rd Street, Ocean Isle Beach
Phone: 910-579-4221
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
Shallotte Police Department
114 Cheers Street, Shallotte
Phone: 910-754-6008
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.
Sunset Beach Police Department
700 Sunset Boulevard N, Sunset Beach
Phone: 910-579-2151
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm.
Pender County
Pender County Sheriff's Office
605 E Fremont Street, Burgaw
Phone: 910-259-1212
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm.
Pender Memorial Hospital
507 E Fremont Street, Burgaw
Phone: 910-300-4000
Hours: Open Daily, 8 am to 8 pm.
Rocky Point Pavilion Pharmacy
7910 U.S.-117, Suite 110, Rocky Point
Phone: 910-210-2030
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 6:30 pm; Saturday 9 am to 3 pm.
Surf City Police Department
305 N New River Drive, Surf City
Phone: 910-328-7711
Hours: Open Daily, 8 am to 5 pm.
Details for medication disposal events will be posted here as they are announced.
To help stop prescription drugs from falling into the wrong hands, the SBI helps sponsor prescription drug take-back events across the state. Safely disposing of old medications through Operation Medicine Drop events instead of flushing them down the drain prevents chemicals from ending up in the water supply. The SBI partners with Safe Kids North Carolina, the Drug Enforcement Administration and local law enforcement to collect and safely destroy prescription drugs during Operation Medicine Drop.
North Carolinians safely disposed of approximately 80,600 pounds of pills at Operation Medicine Drop events from 2013 to 2018.
Operation Medicine Drop events typically take place statewide in the spring and fall. You can sign up to receive email notifications about events in your area.
Because narcotics and other dangerous drugs are often received at prescription drug take-back events, these events must be overseen by law enforcement officials. Unsecured collection boxes are not permitted. However, secure collection boxes are now available year-round in some communities. Find a permanent drop box near you.
Safe Storage
- Safe Kids North Carolina
- Safe Kids Worldwide
- Simple Steps to Safe Medication Storage Video
- CDC - Put Your Medicines Up and Away and Out of Sight
- Be Aware, Don't Share, Lock Your Meds
- Home Medicine Inventory Card (PDF)
Safe Use
- Medication Safety Infographic, Infografía de Medicamentos
- Medication Safety Tips for Older Adults
- The Right Dose, At The Right Time, The Right Way
- Understanding the Medication Label (PDF)
- NC Poison Control can help with simple medication questions and serious emergencies. The Poison Control Helpline at 800-222-1222 and the online chat service are both free and confidential.
General Medication Safety Resources
Medication Safety Resources for Children
- BeMedWise: for the health of your families - Toolkits For Parents, Community Leaders And Health Educators provides tips and tools to help you be medicine smart for the health of your family.
- Over The Counter (OTC) Medication Safety Program is an evidence-based program with proven results to increase children's knowledge about responsible OTC medicine use. Materials are available for teachers, healthcare professionals, families, and community leaders.
- Children Act Fast, So Do Poisons! is a curriculum that incorporates National Health Education Standards (NHES) to educate children pre-K to 3rd-grade students about the dangers of poisons.
- Safe Kids Worldwide
- Safe Medicine Storage: A Look At The Disconnect Between Parent Knowledge And Behavior
- The Rise of Medicine in the Home: Implications for Today's Children
Medication Safety Resources for Adults
- Poisoning Spans a Lifetime is a curriculum for adults that aims to increase poison safety awareness and decrease the number of unintentional poisonings.
- Be Medwise Seniors: Medication Use Safety Training (MUST) for older adults provides educational materials on avoiding medicine mishaps, managing side effects, and improving medicine use knowledge.
- NC Controlled Substances Reporting System (CSRS)
- Prevention Services of Coastal Horizons Center, Inc. provides a range of programs and services designed to help prevent problems associated with alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use, and promote healthier choices for a safer community
- Wilmington Health Access for Teens (WHAT) offers comprehensive primary medical care, mental health counseling, nutrition, and prevention services to adolescents and young adults ages 11 to 24, including alcohol and substance abuse screening
- Safe Kids NC Operation Medicine Drop – Search for all permanent medication drop box locations in North Carolina
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Public Health
Physical Address
1650 Greenfield Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
Phone: 910-798-3500Fax: 910-798-7834
En Espanol- Para Hacer Una Cita
Phone: 910-798-6681
Hours of Operation
Monday and Wednesday through Friday, 8 am to 4:45 pm
Tuesday 8 am to 5:45 pm
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En Espanol - Para Hacer Una Cita
Phone: 910-798-6681
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Human Services
Physical Address
1650 Greenfield Street
Wilmington, NC 28401
Phone: 910-798-3500Fax: 910-798-7824
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Environmental Health
Physical Address
230 Government Center Drive
Suite 140
Wilmington, NC 28403
Phone: 910-798-6667Fax: 910-798-7815