Sredzinski Supports Legislation to Safely Dispose Prescription Drugs

From CT House Republicans: State Representative JP Sredzinski (R-112) voted in favor of a bill he co-sponsored that would allow Connecticut pharmacies to provide drop boxes for unused prescription drugs as an alternative to those found at police stations and urged public awareness as the bill heads for the Senate. The House of Representatives passed HB 5077 on Tuesday, which would give pharmacies the option to participate as a collection site for unused prescription drugs.

The final rule on the Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010 provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 2014 expanded the authority of hospitals and retail pharmacies across the country to voluntarily maintain collection receptacles. However, action from the legislature is necessary, since current state law does not afford Connecticut pharmacies this option.

“I have been eagerly anticipating when the House would pass the bill because it is a positive step for our state to combat the opioid epidemic that has claimed so many lives and caused so much hardship for our families,” said Rep. Sredzinski. “This law helps target unused or unwanted prescription drugs that are also narcotics and have the tendency to end up getting abused by either the patient or someone in their family when they are left around the house. We saw some troubling data from research and national collection initiatives that exposed how these leftover drugs are lying around the house or sold in underground markets. The goal is to promote a safe, convenient, and legal way to return these drugs to proper authorities so they don’t end up on the street or abused by others who have access to them.”

The DEA promotes the disposal of unwanted or expired medications yearly during National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day and other initiatives, which have reported collecting a total of 4,823,451 pounds of drugs in four years.

“As for practical considerations, pharmacies would be given an option of whether or not to offer this service and the receptacles would still be subject to regulations and protection under the law,” added Rep. Sredzinski. “It allows for an added convenience for people, especially in more rural areas, who may have to drive long distances to police stations just to return their unwanted prescription medication. It’s an ordeal for many people so they end up postponing the trips and the drugs stay in the house. On the other hand, some others may feel uncomfortable returning narcotics directly to the police station for various reasons. Either way, any measure to reduce the amount of accessible narcotics in this state must be taken in order to avert tragedy. I hope to see this pass the Senate and get signed into law.

Rep. JP Sredzinski represents the 112th General Assembly district communities of Monroe and Newtown and serves as Ranking Member on the General Assembly’s Public Safety Committee.

Image via Pixabay