[Pharmwaste] Mallinckrodt donations continue

[Margaret Shield]

The tragedy of prescription drug abuse, addiction, and overdose deaths that
is devastating our communities is prompting such actions.

I believe that saving a life is priceless.    I also did want to think about
the impact and sustainability of this approach, so I did some quick
calculations on the population reach and estimated costs. 
(In this, I'm setting aside consideration of the product's effectiveness or
appropriateness in the solid waste stream.)

 

Population reach:  80,000 pouches provides a one-time use for just under 1%
of Virginia's 8.3 million population.

 

Manufacturer's list price of the Deterra pouch for maximum of 45 pills is
$5.99.

80,000 pouches x $5.99 = $479,200.

But it's a bulk purchase, so let's say there's a 30% discount, making total
cost roughly $335,440.

 

If the unwanted pill is a 20 mg oxycodone and the user puts the max of 45
pills in each pouch, that's 45 x 20 mg = 900 mg.  

900 mg = 0.001984 pounds of medicine per pouch x 80,000 pouches = 158.72
pounds of medicines

 

$335,440 / 158.72 pounds is $2,113.40 per pound of medicine.

 

Secure medicine drop box programs cost on the order of 400 to 1000 fold less
per pound (ie. $2-5 per pound), and can easily accept much large of amounts
of medicines than 45 pills.

Mailers are more expensive per pound than drop-off programs, but even they
are hugely more cost effective than these pouches. Programs that collect
unwanted medicines through secure drop boxes or mailers utilize high
temperature incineration for final disposal, which the DEA recognizes as
non-retrievable destruction.

 

VA's AG is accomplishing some good education about the dangers of medicine
abuse with this program but it's not sustainable based on the cost.

 

Margaret Shield, PhD

Community Environmental Health Strategies, LLC

Smart Science & Policy for Our Health and Environment

Seattle, WA 

 <mailto:margaret.shield at CEHstrategies.com>
margaret.shield at CEHstrategies.com

mobile:  206-499-5452

 <http://www.CEHstrategies.com> www.CEHstrategies.com 

 

From: Pharmwaste [mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf
Of Ed Gottlieb
Sent: Friday, October 14, 2016 5:33 AM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: [Pharmwaste] Mallinckrodt donations continue

 

Mallinckrodt donates 80,000 pouches to the AG of VA.  

A minor point...the story incorrectly states that the activated carbon will
"break down" drugs.  That statement is a hot link to the Mallinckrodt
website; which correctly says, "deactivate".

http://www.roanoke.com/news/local/roanoke/attorney-general-secures-drug-disp
osal-kits-to-curb-opioid-crisis/article_5a32fe4d-0378-5d99-9a4f-f445ec674136
.html

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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