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Product Stewardship for Waste/Unwanted Pharmaceuticals

Product Stewardship for Waste/Unwanted Pharmaceuticals. Scott Cassel, Executive Director Product Stewardship Institute, Inc. NAHMMA Conference 2005 Tacoma, WA. Why the “sudden” interest?. Ubiquitous in our lives. Showing up in environment. USGS study – 2000

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Product Stewardship for Waste/Unwanted Pharmaceuticals

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  1. Product Stewardship for Waste/Unwanted Pharmaceuticals Scott Cassel, Executive Director Product Stewardship Institute, Inc. NAHMMA Conference 2005 Tacoma, WA

  2. Why the “sudden” interest? • Ubiquitous in our lives. • Showing up in environment. • USGS study – 2000 • Some classes can act as endocrine disruptors • linked to abnormalities and impaired reproductive performance in some species. • might also be associated with changes in immunity and behavior, and skeletal deformities. • Need to know if impact. • Collections inhibited by regulations.

  3. 3 Classes of Pharmaceuticals • Over the Counter (OTC) • Prescription • Controlled substances (10-15%)

  4. What are the sources? • Excretion • Disposal • Long-term care (e.g., nursing homes, group homes, etc.) • Hospice • Home disposal  Don’t Know: Percentage contributed by each source

  5. What are the pathways? • Flushing • Septic • WWTP  biosolids and discharged to streams (after treatment) • Garbage • Lined landfills  Landfill leachate  WWTP  biosolids and discharged to streams • Unlined landfills

  6. How are they regulated? • Some regulated by RCRA. • Some not regulated by RCRA but should be based on characteristics. • Some are Controlled Substances regulated by DEA under Controlled Substances Act. • There is an HHW exemption for individuals regardless of toxicity. • There is an HHW exemption for collection in most states.

  7. Key Issues • No agreement on whether pharmaceuticals present in environment are linked to human health or environmental problems. • No agreeement on the amount of waste/unwanted pharmaceuticals entering environment. • Some pharmaceuticals that should be regulated by RCRA are not. • Can’t legally collect controlled substances from the public without costly law enforcement and tracking.

  8. Current Pilot Projects for Pharmaceuticals • Collections at hospitals • Collections at pharmacies • Collections at central locations (e.g. Senior centers, HHW facility, facilities and clinics)

  9. Current Pilot Projects for Pharmaceuticals • Alachua County, FL • Palo Alto, CA • Clark County, WA • Marin County, CA • BC, Canada • L.A. and Orange County, CA

  10. Pharmaceutical Take-back Programs Must Address • Concerns of anonymity • Security of collection method • Collection of Controlled Substances • Compliance with national/local hazardous waste legislation

  11. Who are the Catalysts? • Dave Galvin, King County WA • Laurie Tenace, FL DEP Other Funders: • San Francisco CA • Santa Monica CA • San Benito County CA • Palo Alto, CA • Central VT Solid Waste Mgt Agency

  12. What is Product Stewardship? “Product Stewardship" is a principle that directs all those involved in the life cycle of a product to take shared responsibility for reducing the health and environmental impacts that result from the production, use, and end-of-life management of the product.

  13. PSI Dialogue Process • Research • Pharmaceutical Stewardship Action Plan • Dialogue • 4 meetings over a year • Numerous workgroup conference calls • Project Implementation • Designing a nationally coordinated pharmaceuticals management system

  14. PSI Pharmaceutical Product Stewardship Action Plan • Problem Statement • Focus • Goals • Key Issues • Potential Solutions • Process

  15. Focus • Unwanted/waste pharmaceuticals • Households • Long-term care facilities (nursing homes, hospice care) • NOT focused on: • Personal care products • Non-pharmaceutical endocrine disruptors

  16. Primary Goals 1. Evaluate need and opportunities for nationally coordinated system for management of unwanted/waste pharmaceuticals that allows for multiple solutions to reflect regional differences.

  17. Primary Goals 2. Increase the safe, legal, and env’lly protective collection and disposal of unwanted/waste pharmaceuticals through development of best management practices.

  18. Secondary Goals • Identify opportunities for reducing unwanted/waste pharmaceuticals • Evaluate the amount of unwanted/waste pharmaceuticals available for proper management.

  19. PSI Role in Dialogue • Facilitate/mediate the dialogue • Provide technical research and analysis • Design and implement pilot projects • Clearinghouse for pharmaceuticals product stewardship policies, programs, and data. www.productstewardship.us • Glue holding the pieces together….

  20. Players • Pharmaceutical companies/associations • Research and Development • Generic • Government • Pharmacies • WWTP and Water Treatment Associations • Others

  21. Next Steps: PSI Dialogue Process • Complete Action Plan • Dialogue • Pending interest • Pending funding OR…

  22. Heidi Sanborn PSI Consultant (916) 485-7753 Hksanborn@comcast.net Scott Cassel PSI Executive Director 617-236-4855 scott@productstewardship.us www.productstewardship.us For More Information Contact…

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