[Pharmwaste] NCPA note

[Stevan Gressitt]

Hove folks seen this: DEA's National 'Take Back' Day

Dear Colleague,
You may have heard about the first national "take back" day for scheduled
prescription drugs that have been dispensed but are now unneeded or expired.
You'll probably hear a lot more through your local media before the target
date of Sept. 25.
This is an initiative of the Drug Enforcement Administration with the
voluntary involvement of various state, county, and municipal police
agencies. This is a well-meaning and perhaps long overdue effort. But the
potential for confusion is high among the general public and pharmacies,
especially those that are participating in our Dispose My Meds program. For
example, on Aug. 14 the Las Vegas police department is leading a
drive-through take back program in the parking lot of one of its facilities.
It is unrelated to the DEA event or Dispose My Meds.
DEA's nationwide, but locally-oriented, take-back event is strictly law
enforcement-related. Locations where they will be held and the hours will
depend on different regional divisions within DEA and outreach to local law
enforcement.
DEA is encouraging the events be held in very public areas such as malls,
grocery store parking lots, etc. not the police department or firehouse, for
example. Pharmacy parking lots, but not pharmacies, are OK.
DEA has asked us to collect information from our members who may want to
host an event. The agency will share it with local police departments that
want to get involved.
Those who would like to assist law enforcement with location selection for
these events should go to www.disposemymeds.org/ and click on "Contact Us."
We will be collecting names of interested NCPA members until Aug. 15. DEA
may be in touch with you afterwards to determine how you may assist them on
Sept. 25. DEA also will be launching a website soon to allow the public to
input their ZIP code to find a location in their area for the Take Back Day.

It is unfortunate that this process for disposing of unwanted controlled
substances is so complicated. Under current law, patients who have lawfully
obtained a prescription drug cannot deliver the controlled substance
elsewhere, even to dispose of the drug, unless they are registered with the
DEA. Even if the national take back day is a success and becomes an annual
event, the need to keep unwanted controlled substances out of our waters and
medicine cabinets is too important and the volume too great for just once a
year.
NCPA's Dispose My Meds program does not take back controlled substances but
we found that patients want to clear unused medications from their homes. We
also found that a disproportionate number of the drugs that patients wanted
to dispose of were from mail order facilities a significant finding as we
look to reduce the costs of medication waste and abuse.
The Senate this week approved a bill NCPA has supported (S. 3397) that would
allow a person to deliver a controlled substance without being registered
with the DEA to an appropriate person for disposal. The Attorney General
would issue regulations on the delivery and disposal of the controlled
substances. The AG also would issue regulations on disposal by long-term
care facilities.
In addition, any take back programs would be completely voluntary a key
provision to NCPA. Similar legislation is pending in the House. This seems
like a sensible first step in the right direction.
We will be learning more about the national take back day in the run-up to
Sept. 25 from DEA, and we'll keep you informed as developments warrant.
We'll also be telling you about new wrinkles for our Dispose My Meds
program.
Regards,

-- 
Stevan Gressitt, M.D.
Faculty Associate, University of Maine Center on Aging
Founding Director, Maine Institute for Medicine Safety
University of New England, College of Pharmacy
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry
University of New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine
716 Stevens Avenue
Portland, Maine 04103
gressitt at gmail.com
Cell: 207-441-0291
www.benzos.une.edu
www.safemeddisposal.com/
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