The Winchester Police Department accepts prescription medications and sharps 24 hours a day/7 days a week at kiosks inside the Safety Building, 30 Mount Vernon Street, Winchester, MA.

Medication

Ideally medication should be disposed of in the original bottles or containers (with identifying information removed to preserve confidentiality).  Put any liquid or glass container in a Ziploc bag provided at the kiosk and securely close the bag.  Insert pill containers or Ziploc bag into the kiosk’s mail slot and close the lid.

Sharps

New in 2015, thanks to a grant awarded to the Board of Health from the MA Department of Public Health, there is now a second kiosk at the Safety Building for residents to safely dispose of sharps at no cost to them.   Before depositing household sharps in the Winchester kiosk:

• Sharps must be stored in a sharps containers
• Containers need to be puncture resistant and non-see through containers
• Empty containers such as laundry detergent or bleach bottles can be used or specific medical sharps containers that can be purchased for a fee at the Board of Health office at Town Hall or local pharmacies
• Glass containers, coffee cans, cardboard boxes, and paper or plastic bags are not appropriate sharps storage containers. They will not be permitted for disposal in the kiosk. Needles are not allowed to be loose or left outside of the kiosk.

Medication & Sharps Safe Disposal Days

There is also two Medication & Sharps Safe Disposal Days that take place on a Saturday in the Spring and Fall in the parking lot next to the town transfer station.  The Coalition partners with town departments, including the Department of Public Works and Winchester Police Department, as well as Winchester Hospital, to host this annual event.  This campaign is aimed at decreasing youth access to prescription medications while safeguarding our environment and waterways.  Residents are encouraged to clean out their medicine cabinets and bring unwanted medications on this day.

This program is supported by the Winchester Cooperative Bank, Spry Moving & Storage and Peak Event Services.