Cool news out of Seattle City Council: Pharmacies and Seattle Police Department stations will have the option to install prescription drug take-back boxes for unused prescription drugs such as OxyContin, Vicodin, and Ritalin in their stores and precincts. The council unanimously approved the measure on Monday.
KUOW was there to report:
Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez sponsored the measure. She said prescription drug abuse can lead to heroin addiction, so they want to encourage safe disposal of extra pills.
Gonzalez: “Four out of five recent heroin users previously used opioid pain relievers such as Oxycodone before switching to the less-expensive option of heroin.”
According to a 2015 study from University of Washington’s Alcohol & Drug Abuse Institute, there has been an 85 percent statewide increase in opioid and heroin use. “Publicly funded drug treatment admissions for opioids as the primary drug increased 197 [percent] statewide, with increases in 38 of 39 counties. Drug caused deaths involving opioids increased 31% statewide, with increases in most counties,” the group reported.
According to a release from the city council, installation of the drop boxes would come at no cost to pharmacies and police precincts. A number of police departments across King County are already on board, they report.
Until recently, pharmacies could only accept returned unused over-the-counter medicine, not controlled substances like prescription opioids. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has new regulations, however, that allow pharmacies to accept these drugs too. …
The King County program endorsed in this resolution is funded by pharmaceutical companies and comes with no cost to the pharmacies. A stewardship organization retained by King County will take care of installation of drop-boxes, staff training, and collection of the drugs.
Interestingly, the release notes:
Improper disposal of prescription drugs, including controlled substances, contributes to environmental degradation as well. A recent study described in a 2016 article in the journal Environmental Pollution found traces of numerous prescription drugs in Puget Sound waters.
Sounds like a win-win.
