Rep Candelora Applauds Passage of ‘Rx Drop Off’ at State Pharmacies
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HARTFORD- State Rep. Vincent Candelora, hailed the passage of a bill in the House of Representatives this week that aims to allow certain state pharmacies to accept and dispose of unused prescription drugs.
Rep. Candelora, a co-sponsor of the proposal said, “With the growing opioid crisis, and increasing fatalities due to opioid overdoses, we must take all precautions. By offering residents another means to safely dispose of their unwanted prescription drugs, we avoid the risk of these medications ending up in the wrong hands. By legalizing drop-offs at pharmacies in Connecticut, we have an added measure in our arsenal to combat this growing epidemic,” said Rep. Candelora.
Currently, prescription drug drop boxes in Connecticut are located in local police stations.
The legislation, HB 5077, An Act Concerning The Return Of Prescription Drugs To Pharmacies passed unanimously in the House and now heads to the State Senate for further action. After much negation in the House with all stakeholders, the bill as passed allows for Connecticut licensed pharmacies to accept and dispose of unused prescription drugs. The bill also allows for the potential for cooperative agreements between pharmacies and local law enforcement, which should help independent and rural pharmacy locations
The bill has the support of the Connecticut Association of Community Pharmacies.
According to Governor Malloy, Connecticut saw an increase in the amount of unused prescription medications that residents dropped off at collection boxes during 2016, with the state collecting a total of 33,803 pounds worth of various medications throughout the year. That amounts to a 43 percent increase compared to the amount that residents dropped off in 2015, when 23,651 pounds of unused drugs were collected by the state.
The final rule on the Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010 provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in September of 2014 expanded the authority of authorized hospitals/clinics and retail pharmacies to voluntarily maintain collection receptacles. These receptacles would still be subject to regulation and protections under the law. This bill will merely give pharmacies the option to participate as a collection site, not require it, and would likely help to get more prescription drugs off the street from folks who would otherwise feel uncomfortable returning them to the police directly.