Operation Medicine Drop collects 8.5 million pills

North Carolinians turned in approximately 8.5 million doses of old prescription and over-the-counter drugs during Operation Medicine Drop events on Sept. 29, according to Attorney General Roy Cooper. That beats the previous record of approximately 7.7 million doses collected during a week of drug take back events held in March.

More than 150 prescription drug take-back events were held in 60 counties by 98 agencies across North Carolina last month.

Among the 11,000 pounds of drugs collected were painkillers such as Hydrocodone, Oxycontin and Fentanyl, all of which can be highly addictive and even deadly if abused.

The SBI gathered the drugs collected by local law enforcement and delivered them to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved incinerator in Alamance County for safe destruction.