Four more California local governments passed extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws for safe drug disposal: Santa Barbara County, Santa Clara County, the City of Santa Cruz, and the City of Capitola (PDF). Vermont became the second state to pass a medicine EPR-related law, which requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to fund a government-run statewide drug take-back program as part of a larger law to combat opioid abuse.
Both Snohomish County and King County, Wash. are preparing to implement safe medicine return programs in 2017, Los Angeles County is drafting an ordinance for consideration, and both Washington and Oregon state legislatures are expected to consider statewide medicine stewardship legislation in 2017.