Lawmakers are once again trying to create a statewide program to collect and dispose of unwanted medications — and Clark County councilors are backing the effort.
The “Drug Take-Back Act” being considered would require manufacturers that sell drugs in the state — both prescription and over-the-counter medications — to operate a statewide drug take-back program. County councilors, serving in their capacity as the board of health, recently passed a resolution supporting a statewide drug take-back program. The board stopped short, however, of backing the specific bill being considered by the House Health Care and Wellness Committee.
Four Washington counties — King, Snohomish, Kitsap and Pierce counties — have programs in place that are similar to what House Bill 1047 would establish statewide. In much of the state, however, drug take-back services are either not available or are provided by volunteer law enforcement agencies and pharmacies, which assume the costs of collecting and incinerating the medications. The Drug Enforcement Administration also funds take-back events twice a year, though the ongoing funding for those events is often uncertain.
The Drug Take-Back Act would require drug manufacturers to create and fund the collection program, which would allow retail pharmacies, hospitals, clinics with on-site pharmacies and law enforcement agencies to collect the drugs from the public in secure drop boxes. The bill requires a minimum of one drop-off site per population center (a 10-mile radius from a city or town center), plus one site for every 20,000 residents of the city or town within the population center.
Collected drugs would be disposed of at permitted hazardous waste facilities. Under the proposal, manufacturers would be responsible for all administrative and operational costs associated with establishing and implementing the program.
The bill would also require promotion, education and public outreach about the program, as well as periodic collection events.
When discussing the resolution supporting the bill, Clark County councilors raised questions about the requirement that manufacturers alone fund the program and about the number of drop sites. They agreed a more broad statement of support would be appropriate.
“The nitty gritty is gonna be worked out by about 100 lobbyists and 47 legislators,” said Marc Boldt, county council chairman, during the Jan. 25 board of health meeting. “It’s going to be a totally different bill when it hits the Senate, anyway.”
During a House Health Care and Wellness Committee public hearing for the bill, several organizations testified in support of the legislation, including the Washington State Medical Association, Washington Poison Center, Association of Washington Cities, Washington Association of Sewer and Water Districts and various law enforcement agencies. Representatives from Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and Consumer Healthcare Products Association spoke against the bill.
Representatives for drug manufacturers testified that safe storage and in-home disposal are more effective methods than mandatory take-back programs, which have low participation.
The Washington State Medical Association and other supporters see the bill as a way to create a consistent drug take-back program across the state, rather than the patchwork of systems that currently exists, Kathryn Kolan, a lobbyist for the medical association, said Thursday. The program, she added, would be one piece of a comprehensive approach to reduce opioid abuse in the state.
In Clark County, all city police departments accept controlled substances (prescription medications such as pain killers and tranquilizers). The Clark County Sheriff’s Office used to collect the prescription drugs, as well, but this summer stopped offering the service because it became too time consuming.
Last year, the Vancouver Police Department collected 390 pounds of unwanted medications. The drugs were logged into the department’s evidence unit for disposal during scheduled incinerations, said Kim Kapp, department spokeswoman.
An east Vancouver Walgreens store, at 1905 S.E. 164th Ave., also accepts unwanted controlled substances, as well as non-controlled prescriptions and over-the-counter drugs. The store only accepts pill and tablet forms of medications, however, and will not take needles, liquids or inhalers. Transfer stations in Vancouver and Washougal accept only non-controlled medications.
The two DEA-sponsored events in Clark County last year collected more than 3,600 pounds of drugs from more than 1,900 people.
