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<DIV>The thing not discussed in the announcement is the related disposal
costs to the pharmacies/healthcare providers for the pickup and destruction
of these returned medications. Since it is now posted, I intend to
read the regulation to better understand what other impact
(besides financial) it will place on
pharmacies/institutions. Examples of questions that immediately come
to mind include: Will the pharmacies need to identify and sort the
hazardous drugs from non-hazardous ones? Will the returned drugs impact
the provider's hazardous waste generator status? If not
addressed in the regulation, further clarification and guidance will be needed
regarding these and other important issues for the proper disposal of waste
pharmaceuticals.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Before taking drugs to a pharmacy, I would recommend contacting the
pharmacy/facility to determine their willingness to accept unused
prescription drugs for disposal. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 9/8/2014 3:48:39 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
jennifer.volkman@state.mn.us writes:</DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d">Well then, I will bag mine up
and bring them to my pharmacy later today! </SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings; COLOR: #1f497d">L</SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: #1f497d"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><SPAN style="COLOR: #1f497d"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P>
<DIV>
<DIV
style="BORDER-TOP: #b5c4df 1pt solid; BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; PADDING-TOP: 3pt; PADDING-LEFT: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in">
<P class=MsoNormal><B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</SPAN></B><SPAN
style='FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: "Tahoma","sans-serif"'>
pharmwaste-bounces@lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces@lists.dep.state.fl.us] <B>On Behalf Of </B>Tenace,
Laurie<BR><B>Sent:</B> Monday, September 08, 2014 2:21 PM<BR><B>To:</B>
'pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us'<BR><B>Subject:</B> [Pharmwaste] LA Times
article on new DEA drug drop off back sites<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></DIV></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><A
title=http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-dea-new-drug-takeback-sites-20140908-story.html?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+latimes/news/nationworld/nation+(L.A.+Times+-+National+News)
href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-dea-new-drug-takeback-sites-20140908-story.html?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fnation+%28L.A.+Times+-+National+News%29">http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-dea-new-drug-takeback-sites-20140908-story.html?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+latimes%2Fnews%2Fnationworld%2Fnation+%28L.A.+Times+-+National+News%29</A><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">In an effort to
address the nation’s growing prescription drug abuse problem, the U.S. Drug
Enforcement Administration will now allow hospitals, clinics and pharmacies to
collect unused prescription drugs.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">The DEA’s new
regulation will also provide residents at long-term health facilities with the
option of turning in unused prescription drugs on-site.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">“We are expanding
drug take-back efforts by introducing new ways for people to safely dispose of
old or unused prescription drugs,” said Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. in a
video message. “Through new DEA regulations, patients will be allowed to more
easily join the fight against prescription drug abuse.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Government
officials said the sites offer a more environmentally-friendly alternative to
disposing of the prescription drugs at home. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">Holder described
prescription drug abuse as an “urgent and growing
threat.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">According to a
survey released last week from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration, there were about 6.5 million people, ages 12 years or older,
taking prescription drugs for non-medical purposes in 2013. In 2011,
prescription drugs played a role in more than half of the 41,300 unintentional
deaths from drug overdoses.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">“These shocking
statistics illustrate that prescription drug addiction and abuse represent
nothing less than a public health crisis,” Holder said. “And every day, this
crisis touches — and devastates — the lives of Americans from every state, in
every region and from every background.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">In the last four
years, the DEA has hosted eight national take-back events, in which Americans
can drop off unwanted or expired prescription drugs at designated sites. More
than 4.1 million pounds of prescription pills have been collected and disposed
of. The next take-back event will be on Sept. 27.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P style="BACKGROUND: white"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt">The take-back
events are part of the Obama administration’s broader efforts to prevent drug
abuse and trafficking. In October 2010, President Obama signed into law the
Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act, amending the Controlled Substances
Act by giving the attorney general the ability to promote regulations that
allow for patients to drop off unused prescription drugs to “appropriate
entities for disposal.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Laurie Tenace<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Environmental Specialist<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Waste Reduction Section<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Florida Department of Environmental
Protection<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 4555<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Tallahassee, FL 32399-2400<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal>850.245.8759<o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><A title=mailto:Laurie.Tenace@dep.state.fl.us
href="mailto:Laurie.Tenace@dep.state.fl.us">Laurie.Tenace@dep.state.fl.us</A><o:p></o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></P></DIV><BR><BR>---<BR>Note: As a
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