Crime & Safety

Operation Medicine Cabinet Aims to Get Pills Off Streets

The Tampa Police Department is in charge of the operation.

In an effort to ensure prescription medications are disposed of properly, the Tampa Police Department is spearheading "Operation Medicine Cabinet" in a few weeks.

Anyone with unwanted medications can drop them off from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 16 at Sweetbay Supermarket, 805 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Tampa.

During previous Operation Medicine Cabinet events, bagfuls of drugs were collected for disposal, said Rebecca Jones of TPD's crime prevention team.

Find out what's happening in Tampawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Jones and other law enforcement officials caution against disposing of prescription drugs in traditional ways like throwing them in the garbage or flushing them down the toilet because it can cause contamination or get into the hands of a child.

"An animal could sift throgh the trash and eat them," she said. "It's a controlled substance, and it needs to be disposed of properly."

Find out what's happening in Tampawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Jones offered a simple rule for getting rid of prescription drugs.

"If you don't need them," she said, "they don't need to be in your house."

Do you plan to go to Operation Medicine Cabinet? Tell us in the comments.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.