Last updated on June 29, 2022
Though the number of prescription opioids dispensed in the U.S. has decreased since 2012, it is still a sizable number. Since 2012, an estimated 140.6 million prescriptions (approximately 8.7 billion tablets/capsules) has been dispensed from outpatient retail and mail-order pharmacies.1
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Last updated on July 12, 2022
Pharmacists are some of the most trusted professionals in the United States. Community pharmacies play a crucial role in the nationwide effort to educate the public about the importance of safe prescription drug disposal and provide access to regulatory compliant disposal solutions. A study conducted by Portland State University (PSU) found that an on-site disposal option at the pharmacy could help. “The presence of a dropbox at a pharmacy was associated with greater customer awareness of proper drug disposal and safer pharmacist recommendations to customers.”
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Although several drug deactivation products are marketed for pharmaceutical waste disposal in home and clinical settings, none have been reviewed or approved by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Disposing of drugs in the trash (even after treatment with a drug decomposition product) may violate state and/or local regulations. Federal guidelines from the DEA, EPA, and FDA for consumer disposal of household medicines recommend take-back programs as the best disposal option.
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On July 29, 2021, President Biden signed the Dispose Unused Medications and Prescription (DUMP) Opioids Act into law. Beginning in 2022, it will give community residents access to medication disposal collection receptacles, including Sharps Compliance’s MedSafe kiosks, located at certain VA medical centers. Instead of waiting for semi-annual Drug Take Back Day events, this additional disposal option will help unused/unwanted opioids and other harmful medications from being misused or diverted into the environment.
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In 2019, an estimated 9.7 million people misused prescription painkillers, and 70.6 % of drug overdose deaths involved opioids. Not all of those deaths were the result of intentional misuse. Prescription opioids and opioid use disorder treatment medications kept in the home pose a danger to children and pets if they aren’t stored in secure containers and disposed of safely.
