Medication Storage and Disposal

Keep your family and community safe. Contact us for FREE ways to safely store and dispose of medications:

• get a FREE lock box or bag to safely store your medications

• get a FREE medication disposal kit to safely dispose of your medication at home

Contact Hannah at the Sauk County Health Department at 608-355-3290 or Hannah.Erdman@saukcountywi.gov

Don’t let your medication fall into the wrong hands. Your prescription drugs may be taken accidentally or accessed without your knowledge young children, family members or visitors. Even people who take their pain medication as prescribed may accidentally overdose, especially if taken in high doses or in combination with alcohol and other medications. 

Commonly misused medications include those used to treat pain, anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, or ADHD. These medications should always be locked up. 

Dispose of your unused medications

To prevent misuse, dispose of unused or expired medicine. Never flush or pour it down the drain– it can contaminate our water supply. Here are 2 ways you can safely get rid of unneeded prescription drugs:

1. Best option: bring them to a drug take back location, such as a local police department. In Sauk County, you may take your prescription drugs to confidential drop boxes at the Ho-Chunk Nation House of Wellness, Sauk County Sheriff's Office or the police department in Lake Delton, Reedsburg, Sauk Prairie, Spring Green, or Lake Delton. To find these and additional locations, visit www.DoseOfRealityWI.gov/Drug-TakeBack. 

1. Contact Public Health Sauk County for FREE at-home drug deactivation pouches. At home, add water and medications to the pouch. Then throw it away– it’s biodegradable and, once deactivated, safe for landfills. When you dispose of your empty medicine bottle in the trash, remove or mark over all prescription labels that identify the contents and the owner. This protects your personal information and prevents someone from trying to refill your prescription without your knowledge.​ 

To get your FREE medication disposal pouches and FREE lock boxes, contact Hannah at Public Health Sauk County at Hannah.Erdman@saukcountywi.gov or 608-355-3290.

Where Can I Take Used Needles?

• Check with your local hospital to see if they take used needles. Place the needles in a plastic laundry detergent container before you drop them off. Do not place them in milk jugs-- the plastic is too thin. 

• Reedsburg Police Department has a sharps disposal container located in their lobby which is accessible 24/7. Individuals may drop off used needles, syringes and lancets. Businesses are prohibited from disposing of sharps at this location.

• The Harm Reduction Response Team red dodge caravan will dispose of any used needles for FREE. Call 608-504-7700 or email DHSDHPHharmreduction@dhs.wisconsin.gov to learn where the van stops near you.  

Where Can I Dispose of Vapes?

• E-cigarette and vaping device batteries and vaping liquids (nicotine, THC or CBD) should be properly disposed of. These batteries and liquids are disposed of at separate locations. The parts of the device should be placed in a sealed container before taking them to a disposal site. To find out how and where to properly dispose of these items click here. 

• Only removable empty nicotine pods/cartridges can be disposed of in your regular trash. 

For more information about prescription medication misuse and youth substance use prevention efforts in Sauk County, visit the Sauk County Partnership For Prevention's website and Facebook page.

More information about disposing of drugs and other healthcare waste can be found on the DNR website at http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/HealthWaste/