A New Community Partnership Brings Medication Collection Boxes to Coatesville Area

The Brandywine Health Foundation in partnership with Pennsylvania American Water and local law enforcement announced this morning the installation of Medication Collection Boxes at police departments in and around Coatesville. This initiative, championed by the Coatesville Youth Initiative Drug Free Communities program and the following police departments; City of Coatesville, Caln Township, West Brandywine Township, West Caln Township and Valley Township, was made possible by a generous grant from Pennsylvania American Water. This public and private community partnership affords residents in the Coatesville area the opportunity to anonymously and safely dispose of unwanted and expired drugs and medication 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The goal is to get these drugs safely off the streets, keeping them away from our youth and protecting our local waterways.

From our experience, the best and most cost effective way to ensure high quality water at the tap is to keep our source waters clean. That is why we are excited about this public-private partnership to help us spread the message: ‘Please don’t flush medications down the toilet, where they would eventually end up in our waterways’. We believe these drop boxes will benefit the community, the environment and our water sources for generations to come,” commented Kathy L. Pape, President of Pennsylvania American Water.

Chief Joseph G. Elias of the Caln Township Police Department added, “We are proud to partner with the Brandywine Health Foundation and the Coatesville Youth Initiative to protect our children and families by properly disposing of unwanted and expired medicines. The availability of these drugs in the home has become a leading cause of accidental poisoning, and has led to the alarming rate of prescription drug abuse in recent years. In many cases they have become gateway drugs for other illegal, highly addictive drugs such as heroin. Public awareness and proper alternatives to appropriately dispose of unwanted medicine play a vital role in education and prevention, and are critical in keeping our communities safe.”

A Medication Collection Box will be located at each of the police departments listed below. Law enforcement officials will empty the boxes and periodically turn the drugs over to the Drug Enforcement Administration for proper disposal.

Caln Township Police Department
253 Municipal Drive
Thorndale, PA 19320
Phone: 610-383-1821
Monday – Friday, 8am to 4pm

City of Coatesville Police Department
1 City Hall
Coatesville, PA 19320
Phone: 610-384-2300
24 hours/ 7 days a week

West Brandywine Township
Police Department
198 Lafayette Road
Coatesville, PA 19320
Phone: 610-380-043
24 hours/ 7 days a week

West Caln Township
Police Department
721 W Kings Highway
Coatesville, PA 19320
Phone- 610-384-3115
Monday-Friday 8am-4pm

Valley Township Police Department
890 West Lincoln Highway
Coatesville, PA 19320 Phone: 610-384-8133
Monday -Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm

Sergeant Rodger H. Ollis, of the City of Coatesville Police Department, who spearheaded this initiative along with Lula Defersha, CYI Drug Free Communities Program Coordinator, commented, “For a number of years, the City of Coatesville Police Department has served as a collection site for Coatesville area residents to turn in prescription drugs as part of the DEA Take Back Initiative. We will continue to be part of that program, as we have had much success collecting expired and unneeded medication and making certain that they are properly disposed. Our goal was to make the prescription drug collection available at all times for our community. We are proud to be part of the collaboration between other law enforcement agencies, the Brandywine Health Foundation, the Coatesville Youth Initiative and Pennsylvania American Water. The partnership has made our goal a reality. By having prescription drug depositories available to the public, twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week, residents will not have to wait to safely and properly turn in their expired and unneeded medication. By having the medication collection boxes available, less medication will end up in landfills, the water supply or in hands to which they don’t belong.”

The Coatesville Youth Initiative Drug Free Communities program is focused on strengthening collaboration among community entities. We seek to educate, motivate and change the perceptions, attitudes and choices regarding prescription drugs. For more information about this program or the newly independent Coatesville Youth Initiative, visit www.BrandywineFoundation.org.