New Mexico Senator to Sponsor Bill Requiring Retail Pharmacies to Start Medication Disposal Programs
New Mexico State Senator Michael Padilla plans to sponsor legislation that would require retail pharmacies to start collection programs for unused medications.
PRESS RELEASE
New Mexico State Senator Michael Padilla plans to sponsor legislation that would require retail pharmacies to start collection programs for unused medications, reports the
. The bill would require the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy to coordinate the programs. The New Mexico Pharmacists Association has noted concerns about how such programs would be paid for, particularly since shipping drugs collected for disposal is typically expensive, reports the
American Pharmacists Association
. In September 2014, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) published its
on Disposal of Controlled Substances, which allows some DEA registrants, including pharmacies, to modify their registration to become authorized collectors. For the first time, non-law enforcement authorities are permitted to collect controlled substances for disposal.
