Dive Brief:
- A three-judge panel from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously upheld a drug disposal ordinance in Alameda County, CA.
- Drug manufacturers will pay for the collection and disposal of unwanted prescription pills across Alameda County. The industry challenged the nation’s first drug take-back law and filed a lawsuit to fight the new law.
- The law was implemented as a way to prevent drugs from poisoning residents and to protect the environment.
Dive Insight:
The terms of the law force drug companies to install disposal bins at accessible locations across the county where residents can dispose of prescription drugs. The companies are responsible for the collection and proper disposal of the pills at a medical waste facility. Manufacturers of drugs will be prohibited from charging the public for disposal costs.
The attorney for the county thinks that local governments around the U.S. will follow Alameda County’s lead in regard to the manufacturer’s responsibility for the disposal of prescription drugs.
