NewsBoard Announces Adoption of Drug Take-Back Regulations
The State Board of Pharmacy recently announced the formal adoption of regulations establishing requirements for pharmacies that wish to establish prescription drug take-back services. While pharmacies are not required to provide drug take-back services under the board’s regulations, for those that do the regulations establish requirements that are based upon U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) requirements. With the rampant problem of prescription drug abuse, the board hopes to increase options for the public to safely dispose of unwanted, unused, or out of date medications. In addition to reducing the supply of prescription drugs available for misuse or abuse, providing collection receptacles and/or mail-back envelopes for customers also helps protect the environment. The regulations are intended to enable pharmacies to provide an important and convenient service for customers who wish to dispose of unwanted prescription medications safely.