Drug Disposal Program

Need to discard your expired or unused medications?

Bring them to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office Lobby located at 100 North Grove Street.  The Sheriff’s Office provides citizens with a free, environmentally safe, and convenient way to dispose of medications from their homes, reducing the possibility of accidental or intentional misuse and/or theft. 

• The office is open during public business hours (Monday-Friday 8am-5pm)
• Check in at the front desk for instructions
• We accept prescription pills, capsules, ointments, vitamins, liquids in their original containers, inhalers & patches
• Chemotherapy medications & sharps/needles/Epi-pens cannot be accepted (see below for Sharps Disposal Instructions)

Since implementation of the drug disposal program in 2013, over 19,000 pounds of medications have been incinerated. The Sheriff's Office utilizes a state-of-the-art medical waste incinerator purchased with drug forfeiture funds to incinerate the medications. 

The Sheriff’s Office also participates in pill take back events throughout the year at various community events. These events are great opportunities and reminders to clean out your medicine cabinet. We thank Hope Rx, TRIAD and local businesses, non-profit organizations and municipalities for their ongoing partnership.

Properly disposing of medications is as easy as 1, 2, 3…

1 - Gather your expired pills and medications.

We can accept over the counter and prescription medications; powders; ointments; pills; vitamins; supplements; medication patches; and liquids.

We cannot accept items containing mercury (such as glass thermometers); radioactive medications; chemotherapy medications; or needles or other sharps.

Please be sure to keep all pressurized containers, such as asthma inhalers, separate from other medications.

2 - Keep your medications in their original container and transport your medications to a permanent medication drop-box or a medication take-back event.

It is important to only transport prescription medications in their original container. Transporting prescription medications in an unmarked container is illegal and could make it appear as though you are trafficking narcotics.

3 – Turn medications over.

- If you are taking your medications to a permanent medication drop-box, see the people at the front desk for bags, gloves, and instructions. Pills should be left in their original containers. Powders and liquids should be left in their original containers, and those containers should be placed inside plastic bags to prevent leaks. Any pressurized containers, like asthma inhalers, should be bagged in paper bags and bagged separately from all other items.

Give your bagged medications to the people at the front desk who will deposit them in a secure drop-box for proper disposal.

- If taking your medications to a medication take-back event, stay in your vehicle and give your medications to someone working the medication take-back portion of the event. Again, make sure to keep all pressurized containers, like asthma inhalers, separate from all other items.