Montgomery County residents can drop off unused medications at local police stations on Saturday, Oct. 24, as overdose deaths in the county rose from 139 in 2024 to 159 in 2025.
District Attorney Kevin Steele announced the Drug Take Back Day at the Oct. 5 Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting, as first reported by The Reporter Online. The event covers 39 police stations and two grocery stores across the county.
Three local drop-off sites serve Whitemarsh, Plymouth and Whitpain residents, according to the county's drug disposal program page:
- Whitemarsh Police Department, 616 E. Germantown Pike, Lafayette Hill
- Plymouth Township Police Department, 700 Belvoir Road, Plymouth Meeting
- Whitpain Township Police Department, 960 Wentz Road, Blue Bell
Accepted items include capsules, creams, inhalers, nasal sprays, ointments, pet medicine, tablets and vaping products. Liquid medicines and needles will not be accepted.
Steele cited the county's overdose statistics in announcing the event. Of the 159 overdose deaths in 2025, 84 were linked to fentanyl. Through early October, 66 overdose deaths had been reported in 2026, according to Steele's presentation to commissioners.
"When we talk about numbers, these are lives. These are lives that have been lost, and we went up in 2025 [with] a big downturn on that, and we hope this year will be less, but one is too many," Steele said.
Steele said the event is a chance to keep prescription drugs from being misused or entering the water system. The program has destroyed more than 147,500 pounds of medication since it launched in 2010. The October 2025 event collected 6,532 pounds. The April 2026 collection brought in 3,067 pounds, a figure Steele called "not very high."
Residents who cannot make the Oct. 24 event can bring prescriptions and over-the-counter medications to a local police station year-round through the county's ongoing drug disposal program.
Montgomery County's Office of Drug and Alcohol provides treatment to 1,500 residents and intervention counseling to 3,500 residents each year. Residents seeking help can call or text the PA Get Help Now hotline at 1-800-622-HELP or contact the office at 610-278-3642.
