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<div style="direction: ltr;font-family: Tahoma;color: #000000;font-size: 10pt;">California Healthline "Think Tank" discussion: How Should Drug Take-Back Work?<br>
<a href="http://www.californiahealthline.org/think-tank/2015/how-should-drug-takeback-work" target="_blank">http://www.californiahealthline.org/think-tank/2015/how-should-drug-takeback-work</a><br>
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Overview story then three panelists provide their opinions.<br>
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I strongly disagree with <span id="page_0_content_1_Responses_AuthorName_1" class="think-tank-response__author__name">
John Murphy</span> (<span id="page_0_content_1_Responses_AuthorTitle_1" class="think-tank-response__author__title">Assistant general counsel, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America), especially:</span><br>
<blockquote>"mandated take-back programs will increase the burden on the environment, because individuals will have to travel to drop-off sites and a completely new waste disposal infrastructure will have to be created. Collecting medicines in identifiable
drop-off sites will also increase the risk for diversion of medicines for drug use disorders."<br>
</blockquote>
<span id="page_0_content_1_Responses_AuthorTitle_1" class="think-tank-response__author__title">I venture to say that the other panelists would have offered</span> rebuttals, similar to the following, if they had been given the chance.
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1. With EPR, most drop offs will be at pharmacies where the environmental burden of travel will generally be non-existent since drop off will almost always be combined with shopping trips.
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2. Infrastructure costs, such as drop boxes and warehouses, will be moderate and can be
<span class="_Tgc">amortized</span> over many years. <br>
3. Collecting medications in identifiable drop-off sites will decrease the risk of diversion. It is well established that the majority of prescription medications that are illegally diverted are obtained from homes. As take back programs reach additional
communities and become more convenient, increasing amounts of unwanted medications will be removed from homes and easy access.<br>
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<div style="font-family:Tahoma; font-size:13px">
<div style="font-family:Tahoma; font-size:13px"><font><span style="font-size:" lang="en-US">
<div>Ed Gottlieb<br>
Chair, Coalition for Safe Medication Disposal<br>
</div>
<div>Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator</div>
<div>Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility<br>
525 3<font face="Times New Roman" size="3"><sup>rd</sup></font> Street</div>
<div>Ithaca, NY 14850</div>
<div>(607) 273-8381</div>
<div>fax: (607) 273-8433</div>
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