[Pharmwaste] Where should collection events be listed?

[Grasso, Cheri]

Hi All,

My concern with the AMCC's "permanent" drop box location directory (which is sponsored by PhRMA and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association among other orgs) is that it conveys the message that the problem is solved - when in reality it's not because most take-backs, even though they may be ongoing, are at risk of shutting down because their funding, which is either from grants, law enforcement, or local governments, could go away.   

Many take-back programs in Washington State are "ongoing" but none of them are "permanent".  In fact, we make it clear that these sites are "temporary, ongoing programs."  They are temporary because their funding, like most take-back programs comes from the shrinking budgets of local law enforcement or local governments who may not be able to continue the program which, especially in these times, is a distinct possibility. 

Cheri


Cheri Grasso 
Pharmaceuticals Project 
Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County
130 Nickerson Street, Suite 100 | Seattle, WA  98109 | 206-263-3089
Local Governments for Health and the Environment www.lhwmp.org 
Protect our Kids, Families, the Environment  www.takebackyourmeds.org


-----Original Message-----
From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us [mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Ed Gottlieb
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2012 10:20 AM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Cc: greg at americanmedicinechest.com; Kate Hagemann; Joan Kennedy; Matthew C. Mireles
Subject: [Pharmwaste] Where should collection events be listed?

Hi All,

Recently, the American Medicine Chest Challenge (AMCC) issued a press release to announce the launch a permanent drop-box locator (which also lists some one day collections.)  http://www.americanmedicinechest.com/  
There are not many currently listed since AMCC is relying on groups to register their boxes and this launch is an effort to get the word out, not only to the public but to program managers who might want to have their programs listed.  As an aside, they were very happy to receive my suggestions for tweaks to their locator and have even asked for more!

Seeing this new listing location got me thinking about the various places that want to be a resource / source of information for safe disposal options.  My first thought was that the more places that list available options the better.  More listing should make it easier for the public to get information.  But then I wondered what if someone searching chooses a link to a list that has outdated or incomplete information?  

Should it be a goal to have a single, nationwide data base of all safe disposal options for unwanted household pharmaceuticals (ideally funded by pharmaceutical companies and run independent of them)?  With a number of states now working on legislation to mandate pharmaceutical company funding of collection events, should funding for promotion, including a central data base, be included?  

More immediately, would it be worthwhile for us to try and create a full list of listings?  It would be a great reference for anyone organizing an event or installing a permanent drop-box.

In addition to the new AMCC locator, here are some other places that list (or plan to list) safe disposal options.  Please let me know of ones I missed.  Thanks! 

The NYS Department of Environmental Conservation  http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/63826.html 
No doubt environmental departments in some (many?) other states do likewise.

The Community Medical Foundation for Patient Safety (President & CEO Matthew Mireles is active on this list) is working to create a listing
http://www.communityofcompetence.com/UEM1.pdf  They are strongly committed to data collection.

The Product Stewardship Institute website http://www.takebacknetwork.com/index.html includes state listings of collections.  They are primarily intended to be helpful for people who want to start their own programs - so they can find other allies in their state and see what they have done (under that state's regs, etc.), how they've funded and promoted programs, etc.

Ed Gottlieb
Chair, Coalition for Safe Medication Disposal 
Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility
525 3rd Street
Ithaca, NY  14850
(607) 273-8381
fax: (607) 273-8433


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