Penn Highlands Mon Valley/Carroll Township Police Collect Record Drugs

Penn Highlands Mon Valley and the Carroll Township Police Department joined forces to help keep drugs off of the streets in the Mon Valley region during the semiannual National Drug Take Back Day on October 28, 2023. The team collected a record 500 pounds of prescription and over-the-counter medications during the four-hour event.

“Up until the most recent event, the largest amount of drugs we collected was 477 pounds,” said Margaret Brown, PharmD., BCPS, Director of Pharmacy at Penn Highlands Mon Valley. “We continue to be amazed by the amount of drugs we collect during these events.”

Once the medications were collected, the law enforcement officers sealed the boxes and representatives from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) weighed each of them. The DEA will safely dispose of the contents.

Ms. Brown reminds the community that Penn Highlands Mon Valley is a permanent Drug Take Back site. A secure receptacle is located in the Waiting Room of the hospital’s Emergency Department. The locked container is accessible 24/7. In addition, the service is free and anonymous. People who choose to use the confidential box at Penn Highlands Mon Valley should remove or black out all personal information before disposing of the medications. While liquid products and creams in containers with secured lids are accepted, sharps and syringes are not accepted due to the potential exposure to blood-borne diseases.