WASHINGTON – Legislation cosponsored by Senator Chuck Grassley that would help crackdown on the abuse of prescription drugs by teens passed the Senate late last night. The bill would provide people with a safe and responsible way to dispose of outdated or unused prescription drugs.
The Senate passed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010 by unanimous consent. Grassley, and Senators Amy Klobuchar and John Cornyn, sponsored the legislation which now must be considered by the House of Representatives.
“Studies show that prescription drug abuse is on the rise in our communities,” Grassley said. “We need to give people a legal and safe method of drug disposal so unused or expired prescription drugs can be kept out of the hands of children and teenagers. This legislation allows communities to establish drug take back programs so patients can safely dispose of old or unused prescription drugs.”
Under current law, consumers cannot easily dispose of outdated or unused prescription drugs. Most drugs should not be thrown away or flushed because they can contaminate the water supply. However, consumers are currently prohibited by the Controlled Substances Act from giving their prescription drugs to another person, such as a pharmacist, for disposal. Additionally, long-term care facilities are not allowed to dispose of prescription drugs on behalf of their residents.
This legislation will amend the Controlled Substances Act to make it easier for states and communities to establish programs or initiatives to allow people to give their unused prescription drugs to an appropriate person, such as law enforcement officials or pharmacists, for disposal purposes, as determined by the Attorney General. The bill allows the Attorney General to issue regulations to ensure that drugs do not fall into the wrong hands. The Act also authorizes the Attorney General to issue regulations that will permit long-term care facilities to dispose of controlled substances on behalf of their patients.
Keeping outdated prescription medicines around the house gives children and teens easy access to these drugs. This is a primary reason why prescription drug abuse by teens is on the rise. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in 2008, 15.2 million Americans age 12 and older had taken a prescription pain reliever, tranquilizer, stimulant, or sedative for nonmedical purposes.