Talbot County, Maryland

04/17/2026

Category: Sheriff Department

Re-posted on behalf of Talbot County Sheriff's Office.

Talbot County Sheriff Deputies to collect unused pills, sharps

Talbot Goes Purple this week announced prescription medication and sharps collection from 9 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. April 25 at six locations in Talbot County, as part of National Drug Take-Back Day.

National Drug Take-Back Day is an annual collection event sponsored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The DEA also sponsors a collection event each October; that event saw 286 tons of medications collected across more than 4,300 sites, including several in Talbot County.

Leftover medications are extremely common. More than half of all prescription opioids go unused yet fewer than 9% of patients properly dispose of unused opioids, according to the National Library of Medicine. Opioids include prescription pain medications like Oxycodone; synthetic opioids like Fentanyl; and illegal drugs like heroin.

“We know that most kids who misuse prescription medications get them from the medicine cabinets of friends or family,” said Talbot County Sheriff Joe Gamble. “That’s why it is so important to get rid of unused medications.”

Unused or expired prescription medications pose a serious public safety issue – proper disposal helps prevent misuse and helps save lives. DEA events have removed more than 17 million pounds of medications since 2010 – this shows how much unused medication exists and can be removed from communities.

For April’s event, Talbot County Sheriff’s deputies will collect sharps and unused prescription medications at six locations across Talbot County:

• 9 to 11 a.m. Oxford Fire Company, 300 Oxford Road
• 9 to 11 a.m. Tilghman Island Vol. Fire Co., 5979 Tilghman Island Road
• 9 to 11 a.m. Cordova Vol. Fire Dept., 11864 Kittys Corner Road
• 11:15 to 1:15 p.m. Trappe Volunteer Fire Co., 4001 Powell Ave.
• 11:30 to 1:30 p.m. St. Michaels Fire Dept., 1001 S. Talbot Street
• 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Talbot County Sheriff’s Office, 28640 St. Mary’s Ct. Suite 100, Easton

Collection includes unwanted medications, vitamins and supplements --- and new this year, sharps and needles are accepted. Vape pens and inhalers are not accepted. This program is anonymous – no questions asked, no identification required. This year’s event is supported by the Talbot County Health Department.

In addition to this year’s take-back day initiative, a permanent, year-round, 24-hour a day, 7-days a week disposal box is located outside of the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office at 28640 Mary’s Court, Suite 100.

Other disposal locations in the county include the Maryland State Police Barrack at 7503 Ocean Gateway in Easton (24-hour); St. Michaels Police Department at 100 Freemont St. in St. Michaels (24-hour); and Oxford Police Department at 101 Market St. (weekdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. excluding holidays).

For more information on National Take-Back Day visit https://www.dea.gov/takebackday. 

An initiative from the Talbot County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools, Saints Peter & Paul School and the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, Talbot Goes Purple empowers our youth and our community to ‘Go Purple’ as a sign of taking a stand against substance abuse. 

More information about Talbot Goes Purple is available at www.talbotgoespurple.org. Find TGP on Facebook @TalbotGoesPurple or contact: talbotgoespurple@gmail.com.  

Talbot Goes Purple is a component fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization – donations to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

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