Prescription Drop Boxes
Drug drop-off boxes are located at the Jackson County Sheriff's Office and the Maquoketa Police Department.
The drop-off boxes are a safe way to discard expired or unwanted prescription medications. The Sheriff's Office dropbox is open during business hours, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm at 104 S. Niagara St. Maquoketa, 52060. The Maquoketa Police Department (102 S. Niagara St. in Maquoketa) dropbox is accessible 24 hours every day. Medication may be dropped off anonymously; no contact with staff is necessary.
How to Dispose of Medication
- Check that bottle caps are secure
- Deposit in the drop-off container
Not Accepted
Please do not deposit the following:
- Syringes/needles
- Liquids
- Biohazard items
- Ointments
- Creams
- Sprays
- Vials
- Pen medications
Why Drop Off Unused Medications?
- It's a good way to combat and prevent prescription drug abuse.
- Unused, unwanted, or expired prescription medications are a public safety issue, leading to accidental poisoning, overdose, and abuse.
- Unused prescription drugs thrown in the trash can be retrieved and abused or illegally sold.
- Unused drugs that are flushed contaminate the water supply. Proper disposal of unused drugs saves lives and protects the environment.
- Pharmaceutical drugs can be just as dangerous as street drugs when taken without a prescription or a doctor’s supervision.
- The non-medical use of prescription drugs ranks second only to marijuana as the most common form of drug abuse in America.
- The majority of teenagers abusing prescription drugs get them from family and friends — and the home medicine cabinet.
