[Pharmwaste] RE: Pharmwaste Digest, Vol 60, Issue 6

[Clore, Cara]

I assume folks are aware of the following:

Bipartisan Federal Law Enables Safe Disposal of Medicines

Law will help prevent drug abuse, poisonings and protect environment

October 13, 2010 - A new federal law, signed yesterday by President
Barack Obama, will reduce costs and create more opportunities for
collecting unused medicines from homes and long-term care facilities.
The Safe and Secure Drug Disposal Act will give communities more options
for providing secure take-back programs to prevent drug abuse, reduce
the chances of accidental poisonings, and keep pharmaceutical drugs out
of the environment. 

"Passing the Safe and Secure Drug Disposal Act is a win for our children
and our environment," said U.S. Representative Jay Inslee (WA), a key
House bill sponsor. "Prescription drug abuse is a growing plague in our
communities. This law will give communities a common sense approach to
easily and safely get rid of leftover prescription medications."

The Drug Enforcement Administration will now begin to promulgate new
regulations that will provide residents and long-term care facilities
with greater flexibility to dispose of drugs that might include drop-off
programs and mail-back options. Until now, opportunities to dispose of
unwanted prescription drugs have been limited. Under current law,
consumers are prohibited from giving certain unneeded, unused, or
expired drugs to anyone besides law enforcement officers.  

"Local governments need a safe solution that encourages residents to get
unwanted drugs out of their medicine cabinets," said Dave Galvin of the
Local Hazardous Waste Management Program for King County, Washington.
"We now must develop a sustainable funding system so that taxpayers and
local governments do not bear the full cost of these take-back
programs."

"With this bipartisan effort, Congress stepped up to address an
important issue that has the potential to curtail drug abuse and reduce
environmental impacts from disposed medications," said Scott Cassel,
Executive Director of the Product Stewardship Institute, a non-profit
institute that advocated for this law along with a unique
multi-stakeholder coalition. 

 

 

Product Stewardship Institute, Inc. (PSI) is a national non-profit
environmental institute with membership from 46 states, more than 200
local governments, and more than 60 businesses, organizations,
universities, and non-U.S. governments. PSI's mission is to pursue
initiatives to ensure that all those involved in the lifecycle of a
product share responsibility for reducing its health and environmental
impacts, with producers bearing primary financial responsibility. For
more information, please visit www.productstewardship.us, or separate
web page for pharmaceuticals. For examples of take-back programs around
the country, please see www.takebacknetwork.com.

  


 

Cara Clore
Waste Management Coordinator
Clinton County Dept. of Waste Management
1307 E. Townsend Rd. Suite 102
St. Johns, MI 48879
989-224-5187 Phone
989-224-5102 Fax
 
This message has been prepared on resources owned by Clinton County, MI.
It is subject to the Internet and Online Services Use Policy of Clinton
County.

-----Original Message-----
From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of
pharmwaste-request at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2010 10:07 AM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: Pharmwaste Digest, Vol 60, Issue 6

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