Unused Prescription Drugs, Part II - Oregon Legislative Efforts

Here is what I have found out so far about this proposed legislation. First, this issue was brought to my attention by Cath at the support group, who read this letter to the editor by Lucy Noone, of Benton County Hospice Services. The letter to the editor can be found at:

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2008/03/18/news/opinion/6edi02_letters0318.txt

Scroll down to "Take precautions with unused drugs". She says that "Legislation is pending to force drug companies doing business in Oregon to create and pay for a program to take back unused drugs".

I tried to find said legislation and was unsuccessful so far. But I did find a report online:

http://www.oracwa.org/

The name of the report is "Drug Take Back Report". There are two .pdf files, one for the two-page executive summary and the other 100+ page report. The report is authored by Monica Hubbard, a Ph.D. candidate here at OSU. The report is fairly detailed and gives reasons for not having drugs flushed down the toilet and it also goes into various laws that apply and mentions programs in a couple of different states that do this. But I didn't quite find out what the drug companies then do with the drugs after they receive them from various drop-off agencies. I emailed her about this issue and when she writes back, I will post about it.

My initial thinking, open for discussion, is to figure out how one can collaborate on this issue. There was a whole task force here in Oregon committed to this issue and devising this report. So, there's already a system in place that maybe we can capitalize on. I'll let you know . . .