EPA Memo on Drug Take-Back Programs to Fight the Opioid Epidemic Includes Environmental Protection Considerations
As law enforcement agencies continue to fight the opioid epidemic around the United States by collecting unwanted and unused drugs from households, EPA has released a memo outlining practices
law enforcement agencies can use to transport and dispose of household pharmaceuticals collected in take-back programs that are protective of public and environmental health. The memo outlines the regulatory framework including exemptions under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and regulations under Controlled Substances Act (CSA), and summarizes the Agency’s recommendation that incineration is preferable to landfilling as the disposal method for household pharmaceuticals collected during take-back programs and events. Read the full Management of Household Pharmaceuticals Collected by Law Enforcement During Take-Back Events and Programs Memo for more detailed information.
