[Pharmwaste] RE: PhRMA Medication Disposal Statement Released October 31, 2011

Leah Ann Lamb llamb at utah.gov
Wed Nov 2 13:32:03 EDT 2011


Does anyone have a relationship with PhRMA and can ask them to modify
their message (and that of http://www.smarxtdisposal.net/) to suggest
folks look to dispose of unused medication at take-back locations FIRST
(resources exist to find these such as: http://www.takebacknetwork.com) 
before opting to throw meds in the trash? Even FDA modified their
disposal message to include the take-back option prior to disposal in
the trash at:
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm101653.htm
 

Leah Ann Lamb, Assistant Director
Division of Water Quality
Utah Department of Environmental Quality
Phone: (801) 536-4318
FAX: (801) 536-4301
Cell: (801) 560-0464
E-mail: llamb at utah.gov 
 
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box144870
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-4870
 
Physical Location
195 North 1950 West, 3rd Floor
Salt Lake City, UT 84116
http://www.waterquality.utah.gov/ 
 

>>> "Boehm, Melissa" <melissa.boehm at ces.uwex.edu> 11/2/2011 11:15 AM
>>>
They are advocating for people to throw drugs in the trash?? Not only
that, but "sealed in an opaque container safely secure from children,
pets, and others; and discarded in household trash to be later
incinerated or placed in a government approved solid waste landfill.
They also want people to throw (potentially recyclable) containers into
a landfill as well??? 
How does that "promote secure disposal"?

I also don't see any evidence of them "strongly supporting various
efforts and programs to prevent prescription drug diversion." 

From: Margaret Shield <margaret.shield at kingcounty.gov>
Date: Wed, 2 Nov 2011 11:20:58 -0500
To: "pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us"
<pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us>
Subject: [Pharmwaste] RE: PhRMA Medication Disposal Statement Released
October 31, 2011



The only PhRMA “promotion” of the DEA take-back event that I’ve seen
has provided confusing messages to the public.
As an example, see this link to PhRMA’s TV ad for the April 30th event.
 Similar spots were out for the Oct 29th event.
http://www.phrma.org/issues/prescription-drug-abuse
The spot mentions the DEA event, then says “but you don’t have to wait”
for the DEA event, throw medicines in the household trash now.
DEA and our local sheriffs and police would NOT be holding National
Prescription Drug Take-Back Days if they thought throwing drugs in the
household trash was just as safe as secure drug take-back.

In my view, the PhRMA promo does not accurately represent the FDA’s
position, which says that trash disposal should be done “if no medicine
take-back program is available…” , see:
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/EnsuringSafeUseofMedicine/SafeDisposalofMedicines/ucm186187.htm

In WA state, we have a number of secure, ongoing medicine take-back
programs operated by local law enforcement, public health agencies and
pharmacies as a better alternative to trash disposal.  See drop-off
locations list at
http://www.takebackyourmeds.org/what-you-can-do/locations; and, there
may be additional drop off sites in WA that are not on this list.

This is a serious issue for our communities, it is upsetting to see
this industry association doing PR that confuses the public and
conflicts with advice from local law enforcement, public health, and
solid waste agencies.

Margaret Shield PhD
Policy Liaison
Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County
130 Nickerson Street, Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98109-1658
(w) 206-263-3059
(c) 206-265-9732
(fax) 206-263-3070 
Protect Our Kids, Families, and Environment - www.TakeBackYourMeds.org




From:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of
Volkman, Jennifer (MPCA)
Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 8:40 AM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us 
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] FW: PhRMA Medication Disposal Statement
Released October 31, 2011


No involvement here in MN to my knowledge. Individual pharmacists and
pharm students have gotten involved, but not in association with PhRMA.



From:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] on behalf of Tenace,
Laurie [Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2011 7:00 AM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us 
Subject: [Pharmwaste] FW: PhRMA Medication Disposal Statement Released
October 31, 2011






Please take a few minutes to share your comments on the service you
received from the department by clicking on this link DEP Customer
Survey (
http://survey.dep.state.fl.us/?refemail=Laurie.Tenace@dep.state.fl.us
).

From:Fabisiak, Greg [mailto:Greg.Fabisiak at dphe.state.co.us] 
Sent: Tuesday, November 01, 2011 5:29 PM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us 
Subject: PhRMA Medication Disposal Statement Released October 31, 2011


PhRMA released the following statement on the heels of DEA’s latest
take-back day:

http://www.phrma.org/media/releases/phrma-statement-supporting-safe-disposal-resources

Greg Fabisiak
Environmental Integration Coordinator
Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, DEHS-B2
Denver, CO 80246-1530
303-692-2903


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