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<div style="direction: ltr;font-family: Tahoma;color: #000000;font-size: 10pt;">Inspired by yet another news story of a law enforcement drop box being installed outside their station, in violation of the new DEA rule, I wrote a letter to the editor (below.)
After incorporating your good suggestions, I plan on sending it to two or three of the most widely read law enforcement publications.
<br>
<br>
I'd welcome your editorial suggestions and your advice on which publications to submit it to.
<br>
<div>Publications I found: <font size="2">Police Chief Magazine; </font>Police; Law & Order; Sheriff; Law Officer; APB
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Thanks!<br>
<br>
<div style="font-family:Tahoma; font-size:13px">
<div style="font-family:Tahoma; font-size:13px"><font><span style="font-size:" lang="en-US"></span></font><font><span style="font-size:" lang="en-US">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><br>
</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Pharmaceutical Drop Box Programs Need Review
</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Providing the public with convenient ways to dispose of unwanted medications, especially controlled substances, is an important public service.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Removing unwanted pharmaceuticals from homes decreases the likelihood of illegal diversion, accidental overdose, and environmental contamination.
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After the DEA established the Take Back Initiative, what had been a small number of existing law enforcement collection events quickly multiplied.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>The ninth and final DEA event, on September 27, 4014, included 4,076 agencies collecting 309 tons of unwanted medications at 5,495 sites in just four hours!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To increase disposal convenience, a steadily growing number of law enforcement agencies (and pharmacies, for non-controlled collection) have installed permanent drop boxes at their locations.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span><font><span style="font-size:" lang="en-US">Thanks to wide community support, and some limited funding from state agencies and others, new drop boxes continue to be installed.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
<br>
</span></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-size:" lang="en-US"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"></span></span></font>Kudos to all of you that have taken the lead on this important issue!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Are you aware that your drop box program may need to be modified to be compliant with recent changes to federal take back rules?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>This letter was inspired by reading multiple stories of new drop boxes being installed that are in violation of a new federal rule.
<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Late in 2014, the DEA issued a rule regulating the take back of controlled substances.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>The big change is that pharmacies can now apply to take back controlled pharmaceuticals.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Since the rule does not require participation, and provides no funding, it may be quite some time before a pharmacy near you participates. Law enforcement programs remain the primary method for safe disposal.<br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As an aside, I want to mention that once the new rule was in place, the DEA announced the end of the hugely successful Take Back Initiative.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>That decision has left many law enforcement agencies struggling to find the funding needed to keep their one day and/or drop box collection programs going.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>It is going to be a tough transition time.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Back to the point...the rule also specifies how law enforcement collects controlled substances.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Please take the time to make sure your program is in compliance with the new rule.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Here are a few details, specific to law enforcement, which should be part of your review check list.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">1. Boxes must be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">inside
</b>law enforcement buildings. They are looking for active monitoring.<br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold">§ 1317.35 Collection by law enforcement. (3) Collection receptacles located
<b>inside law enforcement's physical address</b>.</span> <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"></span>Also:</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold">§ 1317.75 Collection receptacles (d) (1) Inside a collector's registered location,
<b>inside law enforcement's physical location</b>, or at an authorized long-term care facility;</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> </span></p>
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-fareast-font-family:
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<p class="MsoNormal">2. They must be <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">securely placed so that they cannot be removed, typically bolted to the floor and/or wall from inside the box.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>[§ 1317.75 (e) (1)] </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:9.0pt;text-indent:-9.0pt"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">3. Signage must indicate that Schedule II-V controlled and non-controlled substances are acceptable and that Schedule I controlled is not. [§ 1317.75 (e)
(4)].<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><i>(I had to add this wording to my programs signage using stickers.)
</i><br style="mso-special-character:line-break">
<br style="mso-special-character:line-break">
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">4. Collected medications must be, “stored in a manner that prevents the diversion of controlled substances and is consistent with that agency's standard procedures…” [§ 1317.35 (c)]
<i>(We wrote an SOP specifying that inventory of the contents was not necessary. It isn't practical to routinely identify and count all the controlled substances received from a take back program. This also clears to way to be in compliance with state accreditation
rules.) </i><br>
</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">5. The box must contain an opaque inner liner that, upon removal, must be labeled as specified in your departments SOP.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>If custody is to be transferred to a reverse distributor, a specific list of labeling requirements must be followed. [§ 1317.35]</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"><br>
For those of you holding take back events, you can authorize non-law enforcement personnel to assist with required, and voluntary, activities including: receiving, weighing, separating controlled from non-controlled, removing unacceptable items (sharps, mercury),
inventorying, etc. [Executive Summary: J. Prohibition on Handling, Sorting, and Inventorying Inner Liner Contents and Mail-Back Package Contents; Response to Issues 2 & 3,]
<b><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b> </b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">If you have any questions about the rule, you should contact your
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"><font><span style="font-size:" lang="en-US"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">DEA</span></span></font> field office.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>I’d also be happy to try and answer your questions. Please let me know if your DEA field office says something in conflict with your reading of rule.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> Thanks!
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Keep up the good work!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Ed Gottlieb<br>
Chair, Coalition for Safe Medication Disposal</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Ithaca</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold"> Area Wastewater Treatment Facility<br>
525 3<sup>rd</sup> Street</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">Ithaca</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">, NY 14850</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
bold"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">(607) 273-8381</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">fax: (607) 273-8433</span></p>
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