[Pharmwaste] Looking for Reverse Distributors to Serve Law Enforcement

[Jaramillo, Jeanie]

Good question.  At least in our area, local law enforcement departments developed a dependency on the DEA/National Take Back Days for med disposal.  These departments were being pressured by community groups and drug free coalitions to initiate permanent collection boxes as well, so it was a win/win at the time.  Now they're being told they can't use the Drug Terminator or the like for disposal, they can't turn the meds over to DEA, and no one wants them putting them in the land fill.  They are at a loss.  If there's not a convenient, economical method for disposal available to law enforcement, and it's not mandatory that they have drop boxes or participate in take back programs, the natural progression here is that they will stop participating.

I also, am seeking methods for assisting area law enforcement as I am receiving inquiries from area departments on what they are to do now that the DEA days are "going away".  In the panhandle of Texas, one waste manager basically has a monopoly and they are not a DEA reverse distributor.  They've also historically been very difficult to work with and have required use of proprietary (aka expensive) containers that made utilizing them cost prohibitive for a minimally funded program like ours.  Therefore, the community take back program that we have led with our local PD has utilized a waste management company out of Dallas.  To simply drive up to our area to pick up our non-controls, costs $1,300 and then we pay a per pound fee for incineration.  We had hoped to add law enforcement agencies to our waste company "stops" to pick up controls from them, thus minimizing costs to law enforcement, but our waste management company is not a DEA reverse distributor.  So, it is back to the drawing board.

I've been told that Covanta takes meds from take back programs for incineration at no cost.  While they do not have a facility in Texas, they do have one in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  That adds the complexity of transporting controlled substances across state lines.  I'm wondering if it is law enforcement that is doing the "hauling" if this is legal.  Still, seems like an added burden to law enforcement.  Shipping to a DEA reverse distributor also seems like it could be quite costly.

I've thought about taking a group of students with me to our LE departments to, under direct supervision of LE, sort controls from non-controls.  And, thus the LE would only have to ship the controls, and could minimize their costs.  Then perhaps, our waste manager could pick up the non-controls from local LE.  We are mostly rural and I've heard of other areas in which the LE agencies partner up and take turns.  Whoever's turn it is, rents a truck, drives from agency to agency picking up meds, drives to incinerator, etc.

Any great ideas we're missing out there?  Sometimes I think we're so close to the issue for so long that we can't see obvious solutions.  From where I am geographically, to remain within state lines and drive to an incinerator that is approved for pharmaceuticals is probably an 8-10 hour drive.

Frankly, I'm scared that law enforcement is slowly going to disengage and we are going to be left with pharmacies as the primary option.  From where I'm sitting, that's not looking very hopeful.  But I'm a pessimist by nature.

Jeanie Jaramillo, PharmD
Managing Director, Texas Panhandle Poison Center
Asst. Professor, Texas Tech UHSC School of Pharmacy
1300 S. Coulter St., Suite 105
Amarillo, TX 79106
(office): (806)414-9299
(mobile): (806)376-0039

________________________________
From: Fabisiak - CDPHE, Greg [greg.fabisiak at state.co.us]
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2014 8:37 AM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: [Pharmwaste] Looking for Reverse Distributors to Serve Law Enforcement

Good Morning,

I would like to know if anyone has had success finding reverse distributors ready to collect prescribed controlled substances and other medications from law enforcement agencies either by pick-up or delivery by common or contract carrier.

The only one that I know is operating now is Sharps Compliance, Inc with their MedSafe system. However, that system requires the use of their collection receptacles. Here in Colorado we have many law enforcement agencies with boxes manufactured by others, so boxes are already in place. I've talked to a couple reverse distributors that say they are developing this service, but are not yet operating.

Does any know of reverse distributors that are ready, today, to assist law enforcement with disposal?

Thanks.

--
Greg Fabisiak
Environmental Integration Coordinator
[https://6bc585c3ac975c15d2250e882c44ab669f6363cd.googledrive.com/host/0B8gdupL6hOgVNDVKVVJBcXhoaWs/images/co_cdphe_div_env_72_rgb_email.png]
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, DEHS-B2
Denver, CO 80246-1530
office: 303.692.2903 | fax: 303.782.4969
e-mail: greg.fabisiak at state.co.us<mailto:greg.fabisiak at state.co.us>
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