Rx for Action

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced that they collected 371 tons (742,497 pounds) of unwanted medications at the sixth National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day held on April 27. More than 5,829 locations around the country participated in the event. So far the DEA has collected 1,409 tons (2.8 million pounds) of medication. For past events, the DEA has reported:

• September 2010: 121 tons
• April 2011: 188 tons
• October 2011: 188.5 tons
• April 2012: 276 tons
• October 2012: 244 tons

As people become more aware of the issues surrounding improper storage and disposal of medication, the need for medicine collection programs will grow. While the DEA take-back events have been successful, they are not intended to serve as a long-term national solution to the unwanted medicine disposal problem. Once the DEA releases the new regulations on disposal of controlled substances, communities will once again be on their own to fund single-day take-back events or permanent medicine collection programs. Police departments or other organizations looking to start a permanent medicine collection program can contact IISG for assistance.

2013 Community Pollution Prevention Grant Program: Household Drug Collections

GRANT DESCRIPTION: Grant funding is available through the Michigan Community Pollution Prevention (P2) Grant Program for the development of ongoing household drug collection programs. These programs should include strategies and projects that promote environmental stewardship and awareness through the collection and incineration of unused household medications, including controlled and non-controlled substances within Michigan communities. The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) will provide matching grants to non-profit organizations, local and tribal governments, local health departments, municipalities, and regional planning agencies to fund drug collection programs.

Requests for funding will be accepted from May 1, 2013, through May 31, 2013. Evidence of pharmaceutical waste has been detected in groundwater and drinking water in the Great Lakes region. The technologies and equipment required to remove these compounds from drinking and waste water are expensive and are currently not widely deployed by communities. Successful drug collection programs will prevent pharmaceutical waste from being released into and accumulating in the environment and reduce the incidence of abuse of prescription drugs.

The purpose of these grants is to increase public access to free, convenient, safe and environmentally optimal drug collection programs, and to foster the development of successful models and approaches that can be implemented in other areas of the state. Proposals for projects of various scopes and costs are welcome.

GRANT OBJECTIVE: This grant request will target the following objectives:

• Develop and implement a household drug collection program that provides a free, convenient, and simple method for the population of a geographically defined area of Michigan to regularly dispose of unused medications, both controlled and non-controlled substances, in an environmentally optimal manner.
• Identify demographic indicators that have an impact on the success or failure of the drug collection program. This will inform citizens regarding the implementation of future drug collection programs in different areas of the state.
• Collect metrics, minimally including collection dates, collection participant numbers, and collection volumes and weights for at least prescription and non-prescription (over the counter) drugs collected.
• Collect questionnaire data from a sample of the population residing in and adjacent to the area served.
• Increase the deployment of equipment needed for the collection of both controlled and non-controlled pharmaceuticals.
• Serve as a resource for other organizations interested in implementing a drug collection program.

ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS: Local and tribal governments, non-profit organizations, local health departments, municipalities, and regional planning agencies are eligible to receive funding.

ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES: The following activities are eligible under the Community P2 Grants Household Drug Collection Program:

• Grant funds can be used to fund employee salaries or employ graduate students to administer a household drug collection program.
• Grant funding can be used to hire consultants to implement portions of the household drug collection program.
• Grant funds can be used to support local drug collection programs.
• Grant funds can be used to collect and analyze data to assess the effectiveness of the drug collection program and to identify potential improvements.
• Grant funds can also be used to develop training programs and education and outreach materials.

AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS: The match requirement of at least 25 percent has been established by law. The maximum dollar amount requested should be based upon what is needed to carry out the identified tasks and products. Total grant fund requests must be no larger than$100,000; however, local match expenditures can bring total project expenditures over the $100,000 limit. Project contracts can run for one or two years and will be on a cost-reimbursement basis.

MATCHING REQUIREMENTS: Organizations receiving grants are required to match total project costs by at least 25 percent. Grantee contributions may include dollars, in-kind goods and services, and/or third party contributions.

DUE DATE: Proposals are due no later than May 31, 2013.

FURTHER INFORMATION: To learn more call the DEQ Environmental Assistance Center at 1-800-662-9278, or you may visit the Community P2 Webpage at http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,4561,7-135-3585_62565---,00.html for more information.

Residents in Illinois and Indiana once again took full advantage of a national prescription drug take back event last Saturday, bringing unwanted pharmaceuticals to one of hundreds of collection locations set up throughout the region for the one-day event. And IISG staffers were again at two of the locations at Walgreens stores in Champaign and Urbana to talk about the risks pharmaceuticals pose to aquatic environments and answer questions about how to safely dispose of medicine between take back days.

By the end of the 4-hour event, officials in Champaign and Urbana had collected 12 large boxes of unused prescription and over-the-counter medication. These and other boxes collected throughout the country will be properly incinerated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). A final tally for how many pounds of pharmaceuticals were collected during the sixth National Take-Back Day will be announced by the DEA in the coming weeks. Last September, Illinois residents brought in over 21,000 pounds of unwanted medicine for proper disposal, followed closely by Indiana's 18,560 pounds. More than 2 million pounds of medicine have been disposed of nation-wide since the take-back days began in 2010.

IISG volunteers were also onsite to tell residents of the two cities about a new year-round collection program launching May 24. Like last year, many who brought in pharmaceuticals–often by the bagful–said they had been holding onto their medications for months, waiting for the next collection day. Permanent collection boxes at the Champaign, Urbana, and University of Illinois police departments means residents will no longer have to wait for single-day events like these to rid their homes of unwanted pharmaceuticals.

The permanent program comes at the same time officials at DEA are considering ending its national events in favor of more localized programs. In December 2012, DEA proposed regulations that would make it easier for manufacturers and retail pharmacies to set up permanent collection programs. DEA has said it will end National Take-Back Days once the regulations are approved, making last week's one of the last.

To learn more about permanent programs operating in your area, or for information on how to dispose of medicine where collections are not available, visit www.unwantedmeds.org.

At a booth in the heart of the Student Health Fair held on April 17th at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, one important question could be heard throughout the day: If I shouldn't flush them down the toilet, what am I supposed to do with my unused medications?

IISG's Laura Kammin and Corrie Maxwell Layfield were onsite to answer that very question. During the one-day event, Laura and Corrie talked with more than 130 people about the health and environmental risks of pharmaceutical pollution and how they could safely dispose of their unwanted medicines. Visitors were also told about a nationwide medicine takeback event on April 27 where they could drop off human and pet medications at locations across Illinois.

Amid the buzz and bustle of the crowded fair, many students lingered at IISG's booth with more questions about research on the effects of pharmaceuticals in water and locations of permanent collection programs. Most were surprised to learn that pharmaceutical chemicals have been found in lakes and rivers and linked with changes in wildlife behavior and health. Those who had heard of the dangers of flushing unwanted medication were also surprised to hear that pills thrown in the trash could leach into ground water or find their way to wastewater treatment plants.

But despite how much they knew about proper pharmaceutical disposal when they stopped at the booth, many left promising not to flush or throw away their medication in the future.

Laura and Corrie also talked with university professors and fellow exhibitors interested in spreading the word about proper disposal. One professor wanted to incorporate pharmaceutical pollution into a class on environmental hazards. And exhibitors from health clinics and advocacy groups took IISG materials with information on collection programs and what to do when a program is not available to share with their patients and clients.

For more information about the Drug Enforcement Administration's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on April 27 and a list of locations, visit www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback. For more information about permanent collection programs in the area, contact Laura Kammin.

Communities across central Illinois will have an opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted medications this month. Another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day will take place on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Local police departments will anonymously collect both prescription and over-the-counter medications–including pet medications. No sharps or syringes please.

Residents can drop off their unused medications free of charge at participating Walgreens stores in:

Bourbonnais: 501 N. Convent

Champaign: 841 Bloomington Road

Charleston: 411 W. Lincoln Ave.

Danville: 400 W. Fairchild

Effingham: 1200 W. Fayette Ave.

Kankakee: 1050 N. Kennedy Dr.

Mahomet: 104 N. Lombard St.

Mattoon: 212 Logan Ave.

Monticello: 108 N. Market

Pana: 108 S. Poplar St.

Rantoul: 220 S. Century Blvd.

Taylorville: 315 N. Webster St.

Urbana: 302 E. University Avenue

This is the sixth DEA-led pharmaceutical collection day held since 2010. In that time, more than 2 million pounds of medication have been collected by law enforcement agencies and community partners nationwide.

To find a participating location near you, visit www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback.

The Yellow Jug Old Drugs program has recently released a series of public service announcements about properly disposing of unused medications. The short spots can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/GreatLakesCleanWater?feature=watch

As part of the Michigan Community Pollution Prevention Grant Program, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality awarded the Yellow Jug Old Drugs program a $77,125 grant to educate people on the need for proper disposal of their expired and unused medications. The Yellow Jug Old Drugs program works in partnership with local pharmacies to collect and dispose of unused drugs in a safe and approved manner.

In addition to producing the PSAs, the grant funding will be used to:

* Produce and broadcast a 30 minute documentary in cooperation with CMU Public Broadcasting

* Adapt informational material for accessibility for persons with disabilities

* Translate printed material into Spanish and Arabic

* Work with local substance abuse prevention agencies to educate citizens about the importance of proper disposal to help reduce prescription drug abuse

* Provide outreach to Michigan pharmacies and pharmacy students

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has announced that it will once again partner with local police departments and pharmacies on April 27 to collect and safely dispose of unused pharmaceuticals. The event will be the sixth National Take-Back Day in two years, but it is unclear if there will be a seventh as the federal government continues to take steps to return collection responsibilities to local officials and private organizations.

In December 2012, the DEA proposed regulations that would remove some of the legal barriers that make it more difficult for communities to implement local pharmaceutical collection programs. If approved, the new regulations would allow authorized manufacturers, distributors, and retail pharmacies to set up collection boxes at their facilities or launch a mail-back program. The proposal is still several stages away from being law–the public comment period ended on Feb. 19, 2013–but the DEA has indicated that if the regulations are approved it will end its national events in favor of more localized programs.

Communities throughout the country began implementing permanent collection programs even before the DEA introduced National Take-Back Days. And these efforts continue as more and more launch their own programs. Permanent collection boxes are now available in nearly every state, although the number, coverage area, and accepted medicines vary quite a bit across states. Some programs are run as state, county, or municipal programs, while others are headed by private organizations. For example, pharmacies in Kansas accept uncontrolled medicines, vitamins, and pet medications year-round. In Utah, though, residents can take all unwanted medications to regularly scheduled state-wide take back events and to permanent collection boxes in local police and sheriff departments throughout the state.

In the Great Lakes region, organizations like the National Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal Program (P2D2) and the Yellow Jug Old Drugs Program continue to help communities set up collection programs that residents can use year-round. To learn what programs are operating in your area, visit web.extension.illinois.edu/unusedmeds/disposal/.

The DEA's sixth National Take-Back Day will run from 10:00am to 2:00pm on April 27, 2013. For more information, visit www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal/takeback. Details on specific collection locations will be available starting April 1 at the same website.

Written by: Anjanette Riley, IISG Science Writer

Half-way through a controversial pharmaceutical disposal pilot program, officials in San Francisco have dubbed the effort a success. But the future of take-back programs in the city is much less clear.

When it was launched in April of 2012, the program served as a compromise between lawmakers trying to push through legislation that would require drug manufactures to fund and operate a permanent program and the opposition who ultimately defeated the bill. Since then, more than 10,000 pounds of pharmaceuticals have been collected for disposal by the 13 pharmacies and 10 police stations participating in the program.

To fund the pilot, drug companies gave a one-time financial contribution totaling $110,000. That money is set to run out when the program sunsets in June. And it is unclear whether the city will be able to collect enough money to keep the program going, and where that money would come from.

Part of the uncertainty stems from a legal battle being fought to the south of the city in Alameda County. After it became the first legal body to pass a law requiring drug manufacturers to pay for take-back programs in 2012, the county was sued by several organizations representing drug companies. If the court finds in their favor, programs like the one required in Alameda County and proposed in San Francisco would be unconstitutional.

This latest pilot program is one in a series of initiatives San Francisco has passed since 1990 in an attempt to prevent pharmaceutical contaminants from entering the soil and groundwater. An early program that allowed residents to drop-off pharmaceuticals at facilities operated by a trash hauling company was also cut short over legal concerns. Two others ended when the costs proved too much for the city to take on long-term.

For more information on San Francisco's pilot program, read this article.

Written by: Anjanette Riley, IISG Science Writer

Despite extensive efforts, Wisconsin programs collect just 2 percent of household pharmaceutical waste; the remainder is landfilled, flushed, or stored indefinitely, posing health and environmental risks

MADISON, Wisc.---More than 4 million pounds of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) household medications in Wisconsin get improperly stored or discarded via landfilling or flushing each year, resulting in potential human and environmental toxicity risks, according to a new study by the University of Wisconsin-Extension and the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI). This staggering statistic holds true despite costly and time-intensive voluntary efforts to manage leftover pharmaceuticals safely. "We've gathered the best available data to estimate how much waste is being produced and how it's being managed in Wisconsin," says Steve Brachman, waste reduction specialist with University of Wisconsin-Extension. "And, despite the rapid growth of ongoing drug take-back programs, we found that most people are still throwing their drugs away, flushing them, or storing them indefinitely." The urgency behind addressing the problem of household pharmaceutical waste disposal stems from the health, safety, and environmental dangers associated with improperly storing or discarding OTC and non-OTC medications. First, controlled substances stored in the home are linked to drug abuse, overdose, or accidental ingestion by children and pets. In fact, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more people die from prescription drug abuse and poisonings than from traffic accidents. Second, pharmaceuticals that are flushed or landfilled can contaminate surface waters and threaten aquatic ecosystems. This is because wastewater treatment plants are not designed to eliminate all pharmaceuticals. Drugs that are disposed of in household trash and taken to landfills may eventually end up in landfill leachate, much of which is treated at these same wastewater treatment plants. "There is clearly a great need for consumer outreach and education about this important issue," says Scott Cassel, PSI's founder and chief executive officer. "When used as intended, medications can mean the difference between life and death for some people. But when they're mismanaged, the consequences can be devastating." Given public safety concerns about pharmaceuticals disposal, over the past two years, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has funded five one-day drug take-back events for many communities in Wisconsin and around the country. However, since these programs were never intended to be permanent, Brachman says, when the DEA funding dries up, local governments will be faced with an enormous challenge of securing sustainable funding to keep these programs running. "We need a system that allows us to meet the high and growing demand for pharmaceutical take-back programs without posing a burden on state or local governments," says Brachman. "We believe that the producers of these pharmaceuticals should step forward and work with us to devise and carry out a long-term solution to this multi-faceted problem," Cassel adds. "It's not just environmental; it's not just health and safety-related; and it's not just financial. It's all of the above." The report, which was written under contract with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WI DNR), also cites high costs, lack of sustainable funding, consumer inconvenience, government regulation of controlled substances, limited in-state capacity for pharmaceuticals destruction, inadequate program promotion, and low public awareness as barriers to effective waste pharmaceutical collection programs in Wisconsin. It then evaluates successful industry-run programs in Canada, France, Spain, Sweden, and Australia, and suggests that they serve as models for Wisconsin. To view the report in its entirety, visit http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/HealthWaste/documents/2012HouseholdPharmStudy.pdf.

About the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) The Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the health and environmental impacts of consumer products. PSI brings together key stakeholders with differing interests to develop product end-of-life solutions in a collaborative manner, with a focus on having manufacturers assume primary financial and managerial responsibility. With a robust membership base of 47 state governments and over 200 local governments, as well as partnerships with more than 80 companies, organizations, universities, and non-U.S. governments, PSI advances both voluntary programs and legislation to promote industry-led product stewardship initiatives. For more information, visit PSI online at www.productstewardship.us. You can also follow PSI on Twitter at twitter.com/ProductSteward and on Facebook at facebook.com/ProductStewardship. About University of Wisconsin-Extension University of Wisconsin-Extension provides statewide access to university resources and research so the people of Wisconsin can learn, grow, and succeed at all stages of life. UW-Extension carries out this tradition of the Wisconsin Idea-extending the boundaries of the university to the boundaries of the state-through its four divisions of continuing education, cooperative extension, entrepreneurship and economic development, and broadcast and media innovations. Visit UW-EXT online at www.uwex.edu.

On December 20, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released proposed regulations that would make it easier for people to responsibly dispose of their expired or unwanted medications. The public comment period is open until February 19, 2013.

The proposed regulations would continue to allow law enforcement agencies to conduct take-back events, administer mail-back programs or maintain collection boxes at their facilities. In addition, the DEA proposes to allow authorized manufactures, distributors, reverse distributors and retail pharmacies to voluntarily administer mail-back programs or collection receptacles. Pharmacies would also be allowed to maintain receptacles at long term care facilities. Funding for these voluntary programs is not provided.

The country's first law requiring that pharmaceutical producers pay for medicine take-back programs may be repealed before ever taking effect if a lawsuit filed last week is successful. The Alameda County Safe Medication Disposal Ordinance passed in July of this year would require drug companies to submit plans for the collection, transportation, and disposal of unused or expired medications from residential sources in Alameda County, California by July 2013.

Drugmakers, though, say the law violates the Commerce Clause by shifting the costs of a local program directly onto interstate commerce and out-of-county consumers.The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), which represents brand-name drug companies, the Generic Pharmaceutical Association, and the Biotechnology Industry Organization joined together to file a lawsuit on Friday, hoping to have the law struck down.

Read more about it in The New York Times.

On September 29, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) sponsored the 5th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. State, local, and tribal law enforcement partners worked at more than 5,260 locations around the country and collected 488,395 pounds (244 tons) of prescription and over-the-counter medications. In Illinois residents brought in over 21,000 pounds of unwanted medicines for proper disposal and Indiana followed closely with 18,560 pounds collected. In total, the five DEA Take-Back events have collected more than 2 million pounds (1,018 tons) of unwanted medicine.

Shortly after DEA's first Take-Back Day event two years ago, Congress passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010, which amended the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This allowed the DEA the authority to develop new regulations regarding permanent, ongoing and responsible methods for medicine disposal. For two years the DEA has been in the process of drafting regulations that would make medicine collection easier for communities, but no funding for collection programs was established, and the new regulations have yet to be released.

The DEA has stated that they will continue to hold the Take-Back Days until they issue the new regulations. After that, it will fall again solely to communities to support collection efforts. Fortunately in the Great Lakes states, much work has been done to set up permanent medicine collection programs that residents can access year-round. Examples include the National Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal Program (P2D2) and the Yellow Jug Old Drugs Program. And many communities and counties have set up similar programs for their residents.

Click here to see if your community offers a program. If not, contact IISG to see how a new program might be established in your hometown.

Unwanted medication that comes from households is not regulated as hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The exemption from RCRA applies even when the medications are collected at a single-day take-back event, such as the recent DEA sponsored event, or at a permanent medicine collection program. However, the collected medications still need to be disposed of responsibly.
The U.S. EPA has historically recommended that pharmaceuticals collected from households should be incinerated as hazardous waste. Their recently released recommendations reaffirm the EPA's position that collected medication be incinerated to address both environmental and diversion concerns.
EPA recommends that take-back events/programs destroy the medications at a:

• RCRA-permitted hazardous waste incinerator
• RCRA-permitted cement kiln

When using a RCRA-permitted facility is not feasible, they recommend incineration at a:

• Large municipal waste combustor
• Small municipal waste combustor

They do not recommend the following types of incineration:

• Other Solid Waste Incinerators (OSWI). Medicine collected at take-back events/programs are not considered by the U.S. EPA to be "contraband or prohibited goods" and so no exclusion from OSWI regulations applies.
• Crematoriums. These units are not regulated under Clean Air Act regulations and are not recommended.

Thousands of residents in Illinois and Indiana came out last Saturday with the goal of ridding their homes of unwanted pharmaceuticals as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) 5^th annual National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. police officers and volunteers in more than 200 locations in Illinois and 70 in Indiana collected bottles, boxes, and sometimes even garbage bags full of prescription and over-the-counter human and veterinary medications. Everything collected will be properly incinerated by the DEA.

IISG staffers were at two of these locations at Walgreens stores in Champaign and Urbana, joining local police officers and Walgreens representatives to collect medication, answer questions the about the environmental effects of throwing away or flushing pharmaceuticals, and provide information on how to safely dispose of medications when collection events are not available.

At both locations, people began lining up to hand over their medicine even before the event began. IISG volunteers at both locations heard from several people that they had been saving medications in anticipation of Saturday's event. Take-back event regulars brought medications accumulated just since April's DEA-sponsored event, but some brought pharmaceuticals with much older time stamps. One woman disposed of medicine she had been storing in her cabinet since 2005, and another brought in medication that was almost 20 years old. Exact figures on how many pounds of pharmaceuticals were collected during the 4-hour event won't be announced by the DEA for several weeks, but police officers involved in the event described the day as on track to exceed previous take-back days.

(Guest post by Anjanette Riley, IISG Science Writer)

Each fall Marsh Pharmacies and their partners provide Indiana communities a safe and environmentally responsible way to dispose of expired and unused medications. This year is no exception.

Do you have old and leftover medicine? Not sure what to do with it? Don't flush it down the toilet or sink. Marsh Pharmacy along with its partners at the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Indiana Poison Center, Inmar, Rexam, IU Health and Indiana Association for Home & Hospice Care know that our groundwater, lakes and streams need to be protected as well as our homes from accidental poisonings.

Marsh Pharmacies will be collecting and qualifying unwanted medications for FREE disposal.

Friday, September 21st, 9am – 7pm
Saturday, September 22nd, 9am – 5pm
Sunday, September 23rd, 11am – 5pm
Monday, September 24th, 9am – 7pm

at all Marsh Pharmacy locations

What kinds of medicine can I bring?

• Pills, capsules and liquids (no aerosols, inhalers, Nitroglycerin or alcohol containing products).
• Medicine must be in original container with original label intact.
• Medicines that have the words ''toxic'', ''corrosive", ''reactive'', ''ignitable'', ''flammable'' or ''poison'' will not be accepted.
• Only one type of medication can be in a single container, no mixtures.
• No pill organizers will be accepted.
• No controlled or illegal substances (check with your regular pharmacist if you're not sure whether a medicine is controlled).

This program is for individuals only. Nothing will be accepted from health centers, clinics, doctor's offices or other organizations. Pharmacist's decision to accept or reject any medication or container is final.

For more information, call 317-594-2408.

Medications that cannot be returned at the Marsh Pharmacies collection event can be accepted at the National Prescription Drug Take-Back event on Saturday, September 29th. Click here to find the location nearest you.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will host another nationwide medicine take-back on Saturday, September 29th. This will be the fifth collection event the DEA has sponsored since fall of 2010. More than 1.5 million pounds (774 tons) of medication were collected nationwide during previous events.

For this fall's take-back event, residents will be able to drop-off unwanted pharmaceuticals at more than 200 locations in Illinois and 70 in Indiana. Check out the DEA's website to find an event in your community. Law enforcement agencies interested in operating one or more collection sites on September 29th can still register with the DEA.

Expired and unused medications can be dropped off from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at participating locations. The service is free and anonymous. Items accepted include prescription and over-the-counter medicines, both human and veterinary medications. Sharps/needles, thermometers, and medical waste will not be accepted. Medications should be from residential sources only; no business waste will be accepted. All materials collected will be properly incinerated by the DEA.

In Central Illinois, Walgreens is hosting multiple take-back sites including:
Bourbonnais (501 N. Convent)
Champaign (841 Bloomington Road)
Charleston (411 W. Lincoln Ave.)
Danville (400 W. Fairchild)
Effingham (1200 W. Fayette Ave.)
Kankakee (1050 N. Kennedy Drive)
Mahomet (104 N. Lomard)
Mattoon (212 S. Logan)
Monticello (108 N. Market St.)
Pana (108 South Poplar St.)
Rantoul (220 S. Century Blvd.)
Taylorville (315 N. Webster St.)
Urbana (302 E. University)

If you don't see your community listed here or on the DEA's website, call your local police department to ask if they are participating. Not all of the communities that will be participating in the event are listed yet on the DEA website.

Flushing medications down the toilet or throwing them in the trash can threaten the safety and health of humans, pets and the environment. Recent studies have found a wide-range of pharmaceutical chemicals in rivers, groundwater and drinking water throughout the United States. These chemicals can kill bacteria needed to break down waste in sewage plants and harm fish and other wildlife. Storing unneeded medicines in the home is also the cause of thousands of accidental poisonings in children and pets each year.

Pharmaceutical stewardship is based on proper use, storage and disposal of medications. Single-day medicine take-back events like this one are a great way to prevent accidental poisonings, reduce drug abuse and diversion and limit negative impacts to wildlife and local waterways. So if you've been looking for a place to dispose of your expired or unused medications, be sure not to miss the take-back event on September 29th.

The Illinois EPA will conduct a free, one-day household hazardous waste (HHW) collection in Champaign-Urbana on Saturday, September 29, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. If you have been accumulating unwanted medicine, paint, florescent light bulbs, batteries or other HHW, you can drop it off at the News-Gazette Distribution Center on Apollo Drive in Champaign on September 29th.

List of accepted items:
Old medicines and pharmaceuticals
Oil-based paint (Latex paint not accepted; see below)
Household batteries
Paint thinner
Used motor oil
Herbicides
Drain cleaners
Insecticides
Lawn chemicals
Pesticides
Solvents
Old gasoline
Antifreeze
Pool chemicals
Hobby chemicals
Cleaning products
Aerosol paint
Mercury-containing devices
Fluorescent lamp bulbs
Double-bagged & wetted asbestos
Propane tanks
Lead acid batteries

Latex-based paint will not be accepted at the collection event. Call the recycling coordinator at (217) 384-2302 for latex paint disposal options, or visit the Illinois EPA at http://www.epa.state.il.us./land/hazardous-waste/household-haz-waste/used-paint-disposal-alternatives.html for recommendations on how to use remaining latex-based paint.

Urbana Recycling Coordinator, Courtney Rushforth, says, "I am very happy that our community was selected for a household hazardous waste collection event this year. There has not been a hazardous waste collection event in the Champaign-Urbana area since 2006, and a large response is anticipated. Residents are encouraged to carpool and combine loads, use alternative modes of transportation, and be prepared for wait times."

The event is sponsored by the Illinois EPA. Co-sponsors include City of Urbana, City of Champaign, Village of Savoy, Champaign County, Champaign County Probation and Court Services, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission, Prairie Rivers Network, Sierra Club Prairie Group and MTD. The News-Gazette will host the event. Hick's Gas and Interstate Batteries are local onsite vendors, and will be present to collect propane tanks and lead acid batteries respectively.

For more information about this event visit www.ccrpc.org or contact:
Courtney Rushforth
Recycling Coordinator, City of Urbana
Phone: (217) 384-2302
Fax: (217) 384-2400
E-mail: crrushforth@urbanaillinois.us

Today the Alameda County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pass the Alameda County Safe Medication Disposal Ordinance. This makes Alameda County the first in the U.S. to require pharmaceutical producers to pay for the collection, transportation and disposal of unused or expired medications from residential sources. The ordinance is based on a producer responsibility model. Requirements would be similar to successful medicine collection programs in Canada, France and Australia.

After July 1, 2013, the following changes will take place:

• Producers must submit a product stewardship plan, or be partnered with an existing approved plan, within 180 days of selling their products in Alameda County.
• Producers must offer medicine collection program(s) at permanent collection sites and/or at locations where envelopes for a mail-back program are available.
• The companies are not allowed to charge consumers a visible fee for the medicine collection service.
• Producers must have an outreach and promotion campaign so that consumers are aware of the medicine disposal program.
• Controlled substances (medications that have strong potential for abuse or addiction) are excluded from the ordinance for now, pending new regulations on the disposal of controlled substances to be provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

While Wabash Riverfest might seem like an unlikely place to find a medicine collection event, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and the West Lafayette Police Department know that a take-back event will help keep medicine out of the Wabash River. An event like Riverfest is also a fun way to educate people about the steps they can take to properly dispose of their unwanted medicines and improve water quality in their community.

The take-back event will be held on Saturday July 14th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Tapawingo Park in West Lafayette, Indiana. You can drop off your unused or expired prescription or over-the-counter medicines. Sharps and needles will not be accepted.

After you've visited the take-back event, stay to enjoy the other festival activities, including live music, pony rides, games, a 5K race and the canoe races.

Riverfest is a free, family-friendly event that brings people to the shores of the Wabash to enjoy one of the area's greatest natural resources. By bringing your unwanted medications for proper disposal, you'll be helping to protect the river for future families.

For more information about the medicine take-back event, contact Laura Kammin.

One of the major hurdles to hosting successful medicine take-back programs is the lack of sustainable funding. Pennsylvania recently introduced HB 2466 which seeks to address that hurdle. If the bill passes, come January 1, 2014, any pharmaceutical manufacturers that wish to sell their product in Pennsylvania must operate or participate in an approved pharmaceutical take-back program. This would include providing at least one collection site in each county and in every municipality with a population over 50,000 as well as providing mail-back envelopes at the collection sites and participating pharmacies. In addition to the collection sites, the bill would provide funding for an education and outreach program that would assist people in using the take-back programs. This is one to watch.

P2D2 students are not just spreading the word about proper medicine disposal in the United States. Their message has now gone global. P2D2 students recently returned from Gothenburg, Sweden where they competed in the Volvo Adventure Award competition. Despite the stiff competition, the P2D2 brought home the third prize, a $4,000 check and international recognition of their work.

Students from 45 countries submitted projects to the Volvo Adventure competition this year. Twelve were selected to travel to Sweden to compete in June. The P2D2 students had the opportunity to meet students from Brazil, Paraguay, UK, China, Croatia, Egypt, Fiji, Russia, Tanzania, Turkey and Macedonia. Students from Paraguay and Brazil took first and second place, respectively.

The Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal (P2D2) Program is a collaborative effort between communities, local pharmacies, police departments, hospitals, city officials, students and more. The purpose of the program is to educate the public about the harm done to the environment as well as the misuse and abuse of pharmaceuticals due to the current prescription and non-prescription drug disposal practices worldwide. The mission of the program is to provide communities with a proper method of pharmaceutical disposal that effectively reduces the misuse and abuse of pharmaceuticals and ensures the quality of water and wildlife for future generations.

The purpose of Volvo Adventure is to increase environmental awareness among young people worldwide and encourage them to develop projects that will make a positive difference in the environment in which they live.

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful will be hosting a medicine collection event at the Machesney Park Mall on June 9th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. They will accept expired or unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medications, including veterinary medicines. Controlled substances will be accepted. They cannot accept sharps, needles or syringes. Pharmaceutical waste from businesses will not be accepted.

Additional drop-off sites will be open 9 a.m. to Noon only at:
South Beloit - Fire Department, 429 Gardner Street
Freeport - Senior Resource Center at Lincoln Mall
Belvidere - Township Building, 8200 Fairgrounds

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful started their single-day medicine collection events in June 2008. By 2011, they had expanded to 6 drop-off sites in 5 counties (Winnebago, Stephenson, JoDaviess, Carroll and Boone).

Their partners in providing this important service to the community include the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Rock River Water Reclamation District, Veolia Environmental Services, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center Department of Pharmacy, Rockford Health Systems, Swedish American Hospital, Winnebago County Sheriff's Department, Winnebago County Health Department, local pharmacies and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant.

So far their Medication Disposal Program has properly disposed of more than 12,740 pounds of unused medicine.

This is an all-volunteer operation. If you would like to volunteer, or if you have questions about the event, please call John Kloster-Prew at 815-637-1343.

Illinois EPA announces 2012 household hazardous waste collection schedule

The Illinois EPA announced that six household hazardous waste collection events will be held in central and southern Illinois in 2012. The events will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the following locations and will accept unwanted pharmaceuticals:

Carbondale on June 2

Quincy on June 23

Peoria on September 8

Swansea on September 15

Springfield on September 22

Champaign-Urbana on September 29

In addition to the six downstate single-day events, the Illinois EPA continues to support long-term HHW facilities in Naperville, Rockford, Chicago and Lake County. The program, which began in 1989, has served nearly 417,000 households. Since the program's inception, 465 one-day events have been held and over 81,000 fifty-five gallon drums of toxic materials have been collected from Illinois citizens. The collections give citizens the opportunity to safely dispose of unused or leftover household products commonly found in their homes, basements and garages. The materials are handled in an environmentally sound manner, diverting them from local area landfills.

Paints, thinners, chemical cleaners, unwanted pharmaceuticals, mercury and mercury-containing items, antifreeze, motor oil, gasoline, kerosene, weed killers, insecticides, pesticides, adhesives, hobby chemicals, household batteries and similar products will be accepted. Fluorescent and other high-intensity discharge lamps may also be brought to the collections. Medical waste, sharps and controlled substances will not be accepted. As of January 1, 2012, unwanted electronics must be recycled, so no electronics or related devices will be accepted.

In April 2012, Rep. Michelle Mussman introduced HB 6155. This bill would amend the Safe Pharmaceutical Disposal Act by allowing any licensed pharmacy in Illinois to display a locked and secure container suitable for use as a collection receptacle for expired or unwanted medicines. The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation would be required to adopt rules to facilitate the receipt of medication and prescription drugs under these provisions. If passed, the bill would go into effect on July 1, 2013. It is currently assigned to the Rules Committee.

The student developed National "P2D2" Pharmaceutical Disposal Program will soon head to Sweden to compete in the Volvo Adventure Award competition--an international environmental problem-solving program created by Volvo Car Corporation in partnership with the United Nations. Students from Pontiac Township High School in Pontiac, Illinois, and Reedsburg Area High School in Reedsburg, Wisconsin, will represent the United States in Sweden this June.

Students aged 13 to 16 years must plan and execute environmental protection efforts in their local community, with one team from each participating country awarded an all-expenses-paid trip to Sweden to present their project. The team members will depart for Göteborg, Sweden in June for a six day adventure to present their project, "The National Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal Program (P2D2)," to a panel of environmental judges, including representatives from the United Nations Environmental Program, World Wildlife Fund, World Scouting Organization, UNESCO, Volvo Car Corporation, and AB Volvo.

The P2D2 Program was chosen as one of 11 teams from over 240 teams from 45 countries. The judges will award the top three teams with prizes of $10,000, $6,000 and $4,000 respectively. The P2D2 Team will be accompanied by program P2D2 Program director Paul Ritter and Wisconsin P2D2 Program director Krystal Schara.

The Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal program was created in 2007 as a collaborative effort between adult mentors, students, police departments, municipalities, civic groups, lawmakers, volunteers, and pharmacies that now spans across the country into over 18 states. P2D2's goal is to educate the world about the environmental harm done when consumers improperly dispose of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) drugs. The mission of the program is to provide communities with a proper method of pharmaceutical disposal that effectively reduces the misuse and abuse of pharmaceuticals, as well as, ensures the quality of our water and wildlife for future generations.

Volvo Adventure is a global environmental competition for young people, aged 10 to 16. The purpose of Volvo Adventure is to increase environmental awareness among young people worldwide, as well as encourage young people to take on practical projects that will demonstrate they can make a difference to the environment in which they live. Volvo Adventure is a joint project between AB Volvo and Volvo Cars. More information about Volvo Adventure is available at www.volvoadventure.org. Information about P2D2 can be found at www.p2d2program.org

The DEA announced yesterday that the April 28th nationwide medicine take-back collected 552,161 pounds (276 tons) of unwanted  medications for safe and proper disposal. In all, 5,659 take-back sites participated in the event. The four DEA take-back events that have been held since fall of 2010 have collected over 1.5 million pounds (774 tons) of medication.

On April 19, 2012, Mary Perkins received the Youth Service Governor's Volunteer Service Award. The award recognizes individual volunteers for their community service in the State of Illinois.

Mary is a junior at Effingham High School, and has been involved in 4-H for nine years. Along with John Loy, Effingham County Chief Deputy, Michelle Loy, Effingham County 4-H Ambassador's leader, and fellow 4-H Ambassadors, Mary started the P2D2 program for the Effingham community. P2D2 stands for Prescription Pill and Drug Disposal, which is a national program that properly disposes of expired and unwanted pharmaceuticals. The P2D2 program helps prevent medications from being used inappropriately within households and also from harming the environment. Mary has volunteered numerous hours to start and sustain the P2D2 program in Effingham County.

Congratulations Mary!

Don't forget to dispose of your unwanted medicines at the DEA's next take-back event to be held tomorrow from 10a.m. to 2p.m.

Where else could you find an electric vehicle Grand Prix, puppet making, SimMan, cockroach racing, honey tasting, "bunny fencing", and a medicine collection event all in one place? Only at Purdue SpringFest!

During this year's SpringFest, IISG partnered with the Purdue College of Pharmacy, Purdue Police Department and West Lafayette Police Department to host a medicine collection event. Despite the rain, 24 people dropped off more than 43 pounds of medicine. Students from the Purdue Chapter of the SnPHA also collected anonymous data as medicines were being turned in, including what was being returned and why participants were returning it. This information will help doctors, pharmacists, and researchers understand why people do not take all of their medicine, and could ultimately lead to a reduction in medicines entering the environment.

It's that time of year again...get ready to clean out your medicine cabinet. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will host another nationwide medicine take-back on Saturday, April 28th. You can drop off your expired or unwanted medications from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the nearest collection location.

The service is free and anonymous. Items accepted include prescription and over-the-counter medicines. Both human and veterinary medications will be accepted from residential sources; no business waste will be accepted. Sharps/ needles, thermometers, and medical waste will not be accepted.

Currently there are more than 178 drop-off sites registered in Illinois and 95 in Indiana. Law enforcement agencies interested in operating one or more collection sites on April 28th can still register with the DEA.

IISG will be helping the City of Maroa Police Department with a DEA take-back event that day at 506 S. Wood St. in Maroa, IL. Maroa currently has the only permanent medicine collection program capable of taking controlled substances in Macon County.

In Central Illinois, Walgreen's is hosting multiple take-back sites including:
Bourbonnais (501 N. Convent)
Champaign (841 Bloomington Road)
Charleston (411 W. Lincoln Ave.)
Danville (400 W. Fairchild)
Effingham (1200 W. Fayette Ave.)
Kankakee (1050 N. Kennedy Drive)
Mahomet (104 N. Lomard)
Mattoon (212 S. Logan)
Monticello (108 N. Market St.)
Pana (108 South Poplar St.)
Rantoul (220 S Century Blvd.)
Taylorville (315 N. Webster St.)
Urbana (302 E. University)

If you don't see your community listed on the DEA's website, call your local police department to see if they are participating. Not all of the communities that will be participating in the April event are listed yet on the DEA website.

Covanta Energy Corporation recently announced the indefinite continuation of their Prescription for Safety Program (Rx4Safety) which provides safe disposal of medications collected at community drug take-back programs. Covanta has been providing communities with free disposal of pharmaceuticals since 2010. Click here to learn more about their program.

Spring cleaning your medicine cabinet can be easy and fun this year. Come to Purdue Spring Fest in West Lafayette, IN, on April 14th
between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to drop off your expired or unwanted medicines for proper disposal. You can drop off your unwanted medications at the Heine Pharmacy Building. The collection will accept over-the-counter and prescription medicines, including controlled substances. Both human and veterinary medicines will be accepted. The event will not accept needles/ sharps, thermometers, or medical waste. This event is for households only; no business waste. The take-back event is sponsored by faculty and students of Purdue College of Pharmacy, Purdue Police Department, IISG, and the West Lafayette Police Department. Contact Laura Kammin at lkammin@illinois.edu or Jen Barth at jmbarth@purdue.edu with any questions about the event.

After you've stopped by the medicine collection event check out the other great activities to be found at Spring Fest. This free event is a great way for families to learn about animals, art, astronomy, and much more.

The Solid Waste Agency of Lake County (SWALCO) is hosting a Household Chemical Waste Event on Monday, March 26, 2012 1311 N. Estes Street Gurnee, IL 60031

APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED for this Household Chemical Waste Event. This collection is for residential waste only. No business waste will be accepted. All SWALCO HCW Collection Events are FREE for Illinois residents ONLY. The next collections will be on Saturday, April 14, 2012 and Monday, April 23, 2012. Items you can bring to a collection include: CFL bulbs, unwanted prescription and over-the-counter medicines and supplements (people and pet), household cleaners, gasoline, garden chemicals, pesticides, oil-based paints (no latex) and varnishes, as well as other household chemicals.For a more detailed list visit SWALCO's HCW Website www.swalco.org

In August 2011, Governor Pat Quinn signed two new bills into law making it easier for communities to dispose of unwanted medicines. The Household Pharmaceutical Disposal Fund (Public Act 97-0545) and Public Act 97-0546, which amended the Illinois Safe Pharmaceutical Disposal Act, went into effect on January 1, 2012.

The Household Pharmaceutical Disposal Fund authorizes the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) to provide local law enforcement agencies grants to cover the costs of collection, transportation, and incineration of pharmaceuticals from residential sources. The funding comes from a $20 fine charged to those who commit drug offenses (i.e., possession of marijuana or controlled substances).

The Illinois Safe Pharmaceutical Act allows city halls or police departments to provide locked and secure medicine collection boxes on-site that residents can use to dispose of their unused medications.

The next time you turn on the T.V., notice the number of commercials for prescription and over-the-counter medications–everything from anti-depressants to vitamins to flea prevention for your dog. While pharmaceuticals can improve quality of life for people and our pets, most of us end up not using all of the medication that we buy. So the question comes up–how do we get rid of all of those unwanted medicines?

You might be surprised to learn that the answer isn't tossing them in the trash or flushing them down the toilet.Those ways of getting rid of medicine can put people, animals, and the environment at risk. Children or pets can be accidentally poisoned when they find medicine in the trash. And medicine that is flushed down the toilet can pollute local waterways, harm fish and other aquatic wildlife, and even end up our drinking water.

So what's the solution? The best way to dispose of unwanted medicine is to take it to a medicine collection program. These programs safely collect medicine and then destroy them using incineration. You can look for a program near you on our Where to Dispose page.

Unfortunately, not all communities have programs yet. If that is the case where you live, contact your pharmacy or local police department to see if they are willing to start a program. IISG can guide them on how to get started.