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LEGISLATION

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Legislation

State legislation

State Representative Dawn Morrell and Senator Adam Kline introduced legislation requiring producers of prescription and over-the-counter medicines to develop, manage and fund a statewide return program for unwanted household medicines.

Under these producer responsibility bills, unwanted medicines will be securely collected and safely disposed with the goal of reducing access to medicines that may cause poisonings, be misused by our teens, or be disposed in a way that could enter the environment. The Washington State Board of Pharmacy would have oversight authority to ensure the security and safety of unwanted medicines and the convenience of the return service for residents.

This legislation, known as the Secure Medicine Return bill, is supported by numerous organizations, including the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program, King County, City of Seattle, other local governments, law enforcement organizations, advocates for children and substance abuse prevention, health associations, environmental organizations, and others.

2010 Legislative Update:

March 2010: The bills had substantial support in both houses, but were strongly opposed by the powerful pharmaceutical industry lobby. In the House, 2SHB 1165 was pulled out of the Rules committee (where it had progressed during the 2009 session) to the floor calendar. The Senate bill was passed, with amendments, by the Health and Long Term Care Committee and the Ways and Means Committee, but did not pass out of Rules. The bills did not receive a floor vote in either chamber.

For more information about the Secure Medicine Return Bill, contact Margaret Shield, LHWMP Policy Liaison, at margaret.shield@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-3059. For more information about product stewardship and producer responsibility see www.medicinereturn.com/producer-responsibility/product-stewardship.

Federal legislation

Currently, controlled substances (medicines that are subject to abuse or addition such as Vicoden, OxyContin and Ritalin) cannot be returned for disposal to anyone other than law enforcement. In February 2009, Representative Jay Inslee introduced legislation to amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow medicine return programs more options for accepting controlled substances, including the ability to operate without law enforcement presence. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate by Senator Patty Murray.

Another bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act (HR 1359) was introduced by Congressman Stupak with a companion bill in the Senate introduced by Senator Klobuchar.

A compromise bill is currently being worked on to amend the Controlled Substances Act and many are hoping that a bill will pass in 2010.