Last week in Salem Oregon, the state Legislature was holding work sessions on key policy issues. I was pleased to be invited by the Association of Oregon Counties to speak to the House Health Care Committee about secure drug take-back and pharmaceutical stewardship. It was a great opportunity, in a short amount of time, to overview:
- how unwanted medicines in our homes contribute to public safety and environmental health problems, including the opioid abuse epidemic;
- new options for more convenient collection of leftover and expired medicines under the DEA’s Regulation for disposal of controlled substances;
- how limited funding and resources are hampering drug take-back programs, which are only collecting the “tip of the iceberg” of excess medicines in our communities; and
- the local pharmaceutical stewardship ordinances passed in nine counties to create sustainable and comprehensive secure medicine return programs.
To view the video, go to the work session archive.
You can view my slides in PDF format here: Presentation: Secure Medicine Return & Pharmaceutical Stewardship.
If you want to learn more, please contact me about presentations and policy development, and see my Safer Meds page.
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