HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.a. Consider expansion of pharmaceutical collection programDistrict
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Central Contra Costa Sanitary Di s
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
POSITION PAPER
Board Meeting Date: December 4, 2014
subject: APPROVE A PILOT EXPANSION OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL
COLLECTION PROGRAM BY SOLICITING INTEREST AND OFFERING
RETAIL PHARMACIES GRANTS TO START THEIR OWN COLLECTION
PROGRAMS
Submitted By. Initiating Dept. /Div.:
David Wyatt, HHW Supervisor Engineering /Environmental Services
REVIEWED AND RECOMMENDED FOR BOARD ACTION:
D. Gemmell — Environmental Services Division Manager
J. Petit — Director of Engineering
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K. Alm Roger S. Bailey
Counsel for the District General Manager
ISSUE: Recent amendments to the Controlled Substances Act allow retail pharmacies
to collect unwanted or expired medications, including controlled substances. This will
provide more opportunities for residents to safely and properly dispose of their
unneeded medications.
RECOMMENDATION: As a pilot, the District could offer grants for purchasing
pharmaceutical collection bins and providing outreach to retail pharmacies in the
Household Hazardous Waste Program service area that are interested in becoming a
pharmaceutical collection site.. These pharmacies would be responsible for their own
management and disposal costs. The pilot would not exceed a total of $20,000.
Funds from the pilot could also be used in partnership with other related agencies in the
County to start a countywide retail pharmaceutical collection program, where the
pharmacies would be responsible for managing their collection and disposal costs.
FINANCIAL IMPACTS: A total of no more than $20,000 will be used in the pilot to
assist and promote the collection of unwanted pharmaceuticals at retail pharmacies.
ALTERNATIVES /CONSIDERATIONS: The Board can forego assisting interested retail
pharmacies from becoming pharmaceutical collection sites and continue to pay for the
current pharmaceutical collection model that requires law enforcement agencies to
operate.
BACKGROUND: The District's current pharmaceutical collection program requires
police department personnel to manage the collection and packaging of unwanted
medications residents deliver, while the District pays for transportation and disposal.
Disposal costs for the program are about $27,000 per year.
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POSITION PAPER
Board Meeting Date: December 4, 2014
subject: APPROVE A PILOT EXPANSION OF THE PHARMACEUTICAL
COLLECTION PROGRAM BY SOLICITING INTEREST AND OFFERING
RETAIL PHARMACIES GRANTS TO START THEIR OWN COLLECTION
PROGRAMS
When the program began in 2009, it was intended to be a stopgap measure to collect
medications and properly dispose of them until a similar or better program was
available. At the time, retail pharmacies were unable and unwilling to collect
medications as they could not collect controlled substances with their non - controlled
substances.
On October 9, 2014, the Drug Enforcement Agency released new rules regarding the
Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which expanded the options
available to collect controlled substances from end users for the purpose of disposal,
including take -back events, mail -back programs, and collection receptacle locations.
These changes now allow retail pharmacies to collect and dispose of unwanted or
expired medications, including controlled substances. This is a major change and
improvement which will allow more opportunities for residents to safely and properly
dispose of their unneeded medications, and may also serve to increase the quantity of
pharmaceuticals removed from the waste stream by providing more convenient disposal
sites.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: This matter was discussed at the Real Estate,
Environmental, and Planning Committee meeting on October 7, 2014 and the
Committee recommended Board approval to conduct the pilot.
RECOMMENDED BOARD ACTION: Approve the pharmaceutical collection program
expansion pilot and allow up to $20,000 in grants for purchasing pharmaceutical
collection bins and to provide outreach to retail pharmacies that are responsible for their
own management and disposal costs.
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