Proposed statewide medicine return bill would protect people and environment

Pilot take-back project's success shows need for program

OLYMPIA—Legislation recently introduced in Olympia would establish a free and convenient program that could result in the collection and safe disposal of over 100,000 pounds of expired and unwanted medicine each year across Washington. Under the proposed "Secure Medicine Return" bill (House Bill 1165 / Senate Bill 5279), drug companies would establish and pay for the program.

Health, governments and environmental groups will support the bill at a public hearing on Jan. 21 at 1:30 p.m. The hearing will be held by the House Environmental Health Committee in House Hearing Room C of the John L. O'Brien Building on the state capitol campus in Olympia.

"Leaving unused medicines in medicine cabinets is a recipe for heartbreak in the form of accidental overdose and death. We certainly don't want our children to be experimenting with these drugs or selling them to their friends at high school," said State Rep. Dawn Morrell (D-Puyallup), the bill's sponsor in the House and a certified critical care Registered Nurse. ." State Senator Adam Kline (D-37th District ) is sponsoring a companion bill in the Senate.

"We all need a place to safety dispose of the drugs that accumulate in our homes from medication changes, death of a family member or when they are past their expiration date," Morrell said. "I hope the pharmaceutical companies step up to the plate to do the right thing in our state

Health Concerns

In 2006, an estimated 85 percent of accidental poisoning deaths in Washington state involved medications. A pilot project at Group Health Cooperative's 25 clinics collected over 15,000 pounds of unwanted medicines over two years. "Imagine what we could collect if we had a state wide program in place," Morrell said.

"More than half of teens who use medicines for recreational purposes get them from friends or family, and parents need a safe and secure way to dispose of their unwanted medicines," said Dr. Robert Day, founder of the Science and Management of Addictions."

Medicines are being found in small amounts in our streams, groundwater and marine waterways. There is growing concern that very small levels of these biologically active chemicals may be harming some aquatic species. Medicines can enter the environment when flushed down toilets or sinks. Medicines put into a solid waste landfill can eventually end up in the landfill leachate - liquid created from the breakdown of garbage. In most newer landfills, leachate is collected from inside the landfill's liner and pumped to wastewater treatment plants. Humans and animals also pass drugs or drug metabolites through their bodies into septic systems or wastewater treatment plants. Wastewater treatment removes some organic compounds like pharmaceuticals, but not all, and small amounts end up in surface waters or biosolids. The Puget Sound Partnership's Action Agenda, December 2008, calls for implementation of pharmaceutical take-back programs.

Medicine Return Pilot Project

A first-in-the-nation medicine take-back pilot project has been conducted in Washington since October 2006. Collection locations were provided at 25 Group Health pharmacies in six counties across the state and at 12 Bartell Drug stores in the Puget Sound area.

Although the study pilot ended in October, these 37 pharmacies are voluntarily continuing to offer this service to the public. The pilot was funded in part through short-term grants to the Pacific Northwest Pollution Prevention Center. Permanent, sustainable funding is necessary to create a statewide program.

"This pilot has proven there is a great demand for a medicine return program," said Dave Galvin, a program manager for the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County, which helped run the pilot project. "Already, this program has kept 15,000 pounds of medicines from being flushed down the toilet or thrown in the garbage -all of this with little or no advertising."

Producer Responsibility

A "producer responsibility" approach has been successfully used in other regions, including British Columbia, where drug companies have been operating the program for more than 10 years. Here in Washington, an electronics recycling program for computers and TVs and paid for by electronics manufacturers was launched in January.

"This bill gives drug companies a great opportunity to step forward as good corporate citizens and provide great customer service," said Suellen Mele, program director for Washington Citizens for Resource Conservation and one of the bill's proponents. "By taking responsibility for the disposal of their products, these companies will provide good customer service to Washington residents and reduce the amount of unwanted medicines going in our waterways."

The Secure Medicine Return bill is supported by a diverse coalition of organizations including health, law enforcement, environmental groups, and government agencies. These supporters include: Washington Poison Center, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs, Washington State Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, Washington State Medical Association, Washington Environmental Council, Sierra Club, Bartell Drugs, King County and many more organizations.

An overview of the bill and list of supporting organizations can be downloaded from:

Medicine Return Site.

More information on the Washington program is available at: www.medicinereturn.com. # # #