Rep. Rutigliano’s Proposal to Add ‘Rx Drop Off’ at State Pharmacies Receives Final House Passage

HARTFORD- State Rep. David Rutigliano (R-Trumbull) hailed final passage by the House of Representative of a bill out of committee which would allow for the proper disposal of unused prescription drugs at certain state pharmacies.

The legislation, House Bill 5077: AAC the Return of Unused Prescription Drugs to Pharmacies passed unanimously after much negation with all the steak holders 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 passed the House of Representatives and now moves to the State Senate.

Currently, prescription drug drop boxes in Connecticut are located in local police stations.

“As we have heard there are many constituents who are uncomfortable or find it inconvenient to enter a police station to disposing their unused prescription drugs, mainly narcotics. Pharmacies all over the country have started to offer this service, since being allowed by the federal government in 2014. By starting to make this practice legal in Connecticut, we can add another tool in the toolbox for drug abuse prevention” said Rep. Rutigliano.

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.

Families looking for alternative methods for safely disposing of unwanted medications at home can visit DCP’s website for a series of helpful instructions.

A list of every prescription drug drop box location in Connecticut can be found online by visiting www.ct.gov/dropbox.