Safely storing all medications may help your teen during this crisis.
Things to think about when choosing storage options:

You may need to keep some medications where you can access them quickly.

You may have old medications that you can throw away.

Some medications have special storage conditions.

Think about vitamins, supplements, and pet medications in your plan.


There are three main ways to secure medicines and drugs


1. Locked up in a medication lock box, cabinet, or closet

Here are some local options for lock boxes:
Store: Location: Price: Miles from New London:
Walmart
6a-11p
14 Bowen St., Claremont, NH, 03743 $20 21 mi
Walmart
6a-11p
33 Sherwood Dr. Tilton, NH, 03276 $20 26 mi
Walmart
6a-11p
285 N Plainfield Rd., Lebanon, NH 03784 $20 28 mi
Staples
Mo-Fr: 8a-8p
Sa-Su: 9a-7p
254 Plainfield Rd., Lebanon, NH 03784 $35-80 28 mi
Walgreens
Mo-Fr: 9a-8p
Sa: 9a-6p
Su:10a-6p
3 Airport Rd., Lebanon, NH 03784 $15
HSA/FSA eligible
28 mi
Pros
  • Best option for daily medicine use
Cons
  • Lock box can be stolen or taken apart
  • May need multiple depending on size


2. Safe disposal of unneeded medications

Here are some local options for safe disposal:
Store: Location: Mile(s) from New London:
New London Hospital
24/7
273 County Rd, New London, NH, 03257 0 mi
New London Police Department
Mo-Fr: 8a-4p
25 Seamans Rd, New London, NH 03257 1.3 mi
Newport Police Department
24/7
59 Main St, Newport, NH, 03773 13 mi
Pros
  • Free
  • Safely get rid of old, unneeded medications
Cons
  • Medications need to be in a container or plastic bag
  • Most only accept pills


3. Have a friend, neighbor, or family member store medications
Pros
  • Free option
  • Quick and easy way to get items out of home
Cons
  • Can make it challenging if you need to use the medication

Check that the person does not live with anyone who might not be safe around the medication



© 2026 Dartmouth College. All rights reserved. This website presents research conducted at Dartmouth College in collaboration with Dartmouth Health for clinical quality improvement purposes. Materials may not be reproduced or distributed without written permission of the creators. Content is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always seek the advice or help of a qualified health care professional with any health-related questions. Plan and Protect is not affiliated with any organizations, storage locations, or hotlines presented. Plan and Protect was informed by Lock and Protect. © 2019 UCLA. Lock and Protect is licensed under the UCLA Academic Software License for academic/nonprofit research use only. Lock and Protect is a derivative work of Lock2Live®, which is a copyright protected program out of the University of Colorado and is a registered trademark of the University of Colorado. This work was supported by the National Institute Of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01NR021638. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.