[Pharmwaste] Display of pills at DEA events

[Gilliam, Allen]

I totally agree with the lost information aspect.  As with most worthwhile programs, someone, sometime is going ask about performance measures.  What information was gained from this?  A close estimate of pounds of who-knows-what type meds, prescription or OTC and only an estimate of pills, etc.  Is this all we can claim for a baseline?

This office is not grousing, the national campaign was a huge success from what I've read.  And, sincere appreciation should be given to all the "take-back day" participants nationwide.

The Fed DEA should have given this "national take-back day" a little more thought (and funding) to establish a more detailed baseline from which future/on-going take-back can be measured before they rushed pell-mell into this.  Statistically speaking, a decrease in teen overdoses, diversion arrests etc may be a possible measure for someone to pull out of the national statistics.

But if just a handful of participating metropolitan areas could have had a chance to analyze their wastewater treatment plants' influent/effluent for known (analytically possible) medications present before and after this event, it's possible victory on a two-front battle could have been claimed.

And, I still agree with Gressitt's and Mireles' claim that the almighty dollar lost by government (taxpayers) in the form of the recently collected UEMs will garner future sustainability and funding for more national take-back events if the IG's(?) office comes to find out the national healthcare loss.

Seems this event was about "collect all the UEMs possible" with very little mentioned about the environment and monetary loss.

Arkansas' take-back day resulted in some mind boggling, more than expected lbs of UEMs collected also.  Their news release is currently being drafted by the Governor's "Drug Czar" and hope to see it posted on the Fed's DEA website soon.

Is the next step the long term care/nursing homes?

Allen Gilliam
ADEQ State Pretreatment Coordinator
501.682.0625

-----Original Message-----
From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us [mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of DeBiasi, Deborah (DEQ)
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2010 4:08 PM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] Display of pills at DEA events


At sites I checked on in Virginia, we provided Sharpie markers for people to mark out their identifying information on medications.  Some did, some didn't.  However, the collected drugs were not displayed to the public, so it wasn't an issue for us.  As soon as a bag inside the box was filled up, it was removed, tied and taped with the date and initials of the DEA agent on site, and put in his trunk for later transport.

The DEA HQ office issued guidance that the medications were not to be handled and no questions were to be asked of people dropping them off. It would have been helpful to have done an inventory of the types and quantities so we could get a better handle on controlled versus non-controlled substances, and why meds were turned in - but the important part is that those meds are no longer a potential hazard.  We did pass out additional information on environmentally responsible disposal of home medications and our contact information for questions.


Deborah L. DeBiasi, Virginia DEQ
Office of Water Permit and Compliance Assistance Programs
Email:   Deborah.DeBiasi at deq.virginia.gov
PH:         804-698-4028


-----Original Message-----
From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Matthew C. Mireles
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2010 4:08 PM
To: Ed Gottlieb; pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: Re: [Pharmwaste] Display of pills at DEA events

Ed, this should be very interesting but with health laws pertaining to patients' privacy and confidentiality (such as HIPPA and PSQIA 2005) would not apply because the DEA is not an official health service provider.  On the other hand, it would have been most considerate and prudent to ask participants to black out their names and address or remove the label.

We were invited at a press conference in Houston and had a few issues with the PR.  Clear cylinder and bowls filled with pills look exactly like perfectly sorted candies.  Even though some 3,400 sites nationwide participated in the take-back, no data about the reported 151 tons of returned drugs were collected.  I believe we miss a huge opportunity to really understand why we have the type (?) and quantity (?) of drugs and why people are discarding them.

We are anxious to learn about the next step for the DEA, now with the newly signed law.

Matthew Mireles




-----Original Message-----
>From: Ed Gottlieb <egottlieb at cityofithaca.org>
>Sent: Oct 13, 2010 11:21 AM
>To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
>Subject: [Pharmwaste] Display of pills at DEA events
>
>There are two photos of collected pills on display at DEA collection
events.  http://www.justice.gov/dea/index.htm
>The one in NJ is a clear cylinder filled with pills.  The photo from
Seattle Washington is of a fish tank filled mostly with prescription pill bottles.  Shouldn't the names/address have been blacked out from
those bottles?
>
>Ed Gottlieb
>Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator
>Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility
>525 3rd Street
>Ithaca, NY  14850
>Work: (607) 273-8381
>egottlieb at cityofithaca.org
>
>
>
>
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