Safe disposal of medical sharps and medications keeps our community safe. Learn more on how to safely dispose of needles, syringes, lancets, and medicines below.
Household “Sharps” (Needles)
Household sharps such as needles, lancets and syringes used for self-administration of insulin and similar medications must be disposed of properly to prevent public health risk. If not properly secured, discarded needles may expose your family, pets, and local sanitation workers or emergency responders to needle stick injuries and potential infection. You can prevent injury, illness, and pollution by properly disposing of the sharp objects and contaminated materials you use in administering health care at home.
Local Drop-off Sites
Personal medical sharps may be dropped off Monday through Friday during business hours at the following locations for safe disposal:
St. Mary’s County Health Department
21580 Peabody Street
Leonardtown, MD. 20650
301-475-4330
Harm Reduction Program Office
21625 Great Mills Road
Lexington Park, MD. 20653
301-862-1680
Maryland State Police Leonardtown Barrack
23200 Leonard Hall Drive
Leonardtown, MD. 20650
301-475-8955
Anonymous drop boxes are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week in the front lobby of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, located at 23150 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown. Community members can also check their local pharmacy to see if they have a drop box.
At this time, only personal sharps will be collected and not those from businesses or organizations. Please unwrap/remove packaging from all sharps prior to drop-off. For large quantities of medical sharps, please call the St. Mary’s County Health Department Harm Reduction Program in advance at 301-862-1680.
Medications
Proper disposal of prescription and over-the-counter medications protects our community in many ways. It prevents poisoning of children and pets, deters misuse by youth and adults, and avoids health problems from accidentally taking the wrong medicine, too much of the same medicine, or a medicine that is too old to work well. Proper disposal of medicines also protects our environment by keeping drugs from entering our water when poured down the drain or flushed down the toilet.
Prescription Drop-Off Program
Community members can safely dispose of medications 24/7 using the anonymous drop boxes in the front lobby of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, located at 23150 Leonard Hall Drive in Leonardtown.
SMCHD Outreach, Collection & Resources
SMCHD’s Behavioral Health team does a number of prevention and outreach events throughout the year that include medication collection and community education on safe use and disposal. SMCHD also has a limited number of Deterra® Drug Deactivation System bags for safe, at-home disposal of medications. For more information, contact the Behavioral Health team at (301) 475-4951.
Other Home Medical Waste
Soiled bandages or disposable pads used medical gloves, and other medical items that are not sharp should be placed securely fastened plastic trash bags before you put them in the garbage can.
Additional Resources
- Smart Medicine
- Environmental Protection Agency: Safe Options for Home Needle Disposal
- Environmental Protection Agency: How to Dispose of Medicines Properly
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Safe Community Needle Disposal
Note: It is important to note that this disposal information pertains only to household medical items. By law, businesses have different medical waste disposal criteria.