On Saturday, the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, the Beaufort County Developmental Center and the Pamlico -Tar River Foundation will sponsor Operation Medicine Drop from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the parking lot of Lowe’s Home Improvement in Washington.

Operation Medicine Drop is a prescription drug take-back event where you can safely dispose of expired, unused prescription drugs or over-the-counter medications and keep them out of the wrong hands. Drive-by service will be available for those wishing to participate.

Unintentional poisoning from prescription medications is on the rise in North Carolina. Since 1999, nearly 4,500 people have died from prescription poisoning. The Associated Press has reported that the health-care industry is currently flushing an estimated 250 million pounds of unused or expired pharmaceuticals a year, creating a significant potential for environmental contamination. Operation Medicine Drop offers the public a free and convenient option for disposing of their prescription and over-the-counter medications to protect their families and the environment.

Operation Medicine Drop, conducted by these agencies in March 2011, collected more than 26,000 doses of medications.

For more information, call Pam Daw at 252-946-0151.