In February, Rockland County, NY became the first East Coast municipality to require pharmaceutical manufacturers to fund and manage a safe disposal program for unwanted medications. According to the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI), Rockland County "joins 13 counties, two cities, and two states that require pharmaceutical manufacturers to fund and manage drug take-back programs." Rockland's law (PDF) is "unique in that it requires pharmacies to participate as collection locations, but only those chains with three or more U.S. stores. This provision will significantly increase the number of pharmacy collection locations in the County and provide greater convenience to residents." Stewardship plans were due April 1, 2017.
And on May 15, PSI will host a free webinar on how and why some rural areas provide residents with a convenient way to safely dispose of leftover medications.
Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Agency sponsored National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day continues its twice-a-year nationwide collection event at local law enforcement locations this Saturday, April 29, 2017, 10am-2pm.