Photo Courtesy of CVS Health
“We need to make it easier for consumers to dispose of unwanted medications in a safe and secure manner, and requiring larger pharmacies operating in New York to offer collection services is part of the solution,” Sen. Addabbo said.
By Forum Staff
State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) on Monday advocated for final action on legislation he co-sponsors that will require chain pharmacies to collect unused, unwanted or expired controlled substances from the public.
According to Addabbo, S.6750 has “passed the Senate and Assembly, with bi-partisan support,” and he hopes that Gov. Andrew Cuomo will sign into law later this year, because it will “help protect both
the environment and public health from drugs thrown into the trash or flushed down the drain.”
Addabbo, a member of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee, noted that evidence is growing that medications are making their way into water systems and other parts of the environment, as well as the more serious issue of getting into addicts’ hands.
“We need to make it easier for consumers to dispose of unwanted medications in a safe and secure manner, and requiring larger pharmacies operating in New York to offer collection services is part of the solution,” Addabbo said. “This bill would also address the drug addiction issue, by reducing the availability of unused prescription drugs.”
Addabbo also noted that in recent years, New York has established voluntary programs encouraging
pharmacies to join with other businesses identified by the Drug Enforcement Administration as authorized collectors of unused, unwanted or expired medications. This legislation builds upon those efforts, and establishes a program under which New York residents can mail back medications to out of state pharmacies where they purchase prescription drugs. Mail back envelope costs will be held to $2. Chain pharmacies are those defined as having ten or more establishments operating under the same name, and they will also be required to post signs about available drug disposal options.
Additionally, a 2014 federal Environmental Protection Agency study tested samples from 50 large wastewater treatment plants nationwide for the presence of 56 drugs. More than half the samples tested positive for at least 25 of the monitored medications. In addition, prescription drug use is rising. According to a 2013 Mayo Clinic study, almost 70 percent of all Americans take at least one prescription medication, which is up from 48 percent in 2007-2008. Another concern is that the improper disposal of controlled substances, or keeping them sitting in medicine cabinets for long periods of time, is adding to the opioid addiction epidemic across the state and nation.
“[W]e need to provide New Yorkers with more consistent access to safe and secure medication disposal sites,” the senator added. “Final approval of this legislation requiring chain pharmacies to collect these potentially dangerous substances would be very helpful in addressing this issue.”
