Politics & Government

Big Pharma Fights Alameda County On Drug Disposal

Group representing drug makers asserts "unintended consequences" in ordinance slated for a final vote by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, March 13.

 

After holding its , the Alameda County Board of Supervisors recently received a letter of opposition from the pharmaceutical industry.

“We received their letter and it seems like a fairly generic response to what I believe to be a pretty innovative ordinance,’’ said Supervisor Nate Miley.

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In a three-page letter drafted by Pharmaceutical Research and Manufactures of America (PhRMA), which represents the country’s leading pharmaceutical research and biotechnology companies, an official said the ordinance is "impractical and will have numerous unintended consequences, including possibly increasing health care costs, risking access to medicine and unintentionally increasing the diversion of medicines."

the plan is sponsored by Miley and supported by several work group organizations wanting to hold pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors responsible for the safe disposal of medication. Currently, the cost to dispose of medication is being handled by local governments and taxpayers.

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“We continue to encourage the industry to step forward and develop a plan to safely dispose of their unused and expired products," Miley said.

Close to 30 sanitary district department heads, elected officials and organizations across Alameda County have sent in letters of support for the ordinance.

If adopted, Alameda County would be the first county in the nation to make pharmaceutical companies responsible for disposing of unused and expired medications.

PhRMa is concerned that drug take-back programs without law enforcement will create a greater likelihood of theft or misappropriation of collected medicines. It said that if passed, the county law may not conform with upcoming federal regulations.

Among other objections, PhRMA said industry research shows that household trash disposal and take-back for incineration are equally effective at reducing pharmaceuticals from entering water systems.

PhRMA said the overall cost of medications would likely increase under the county ordinance. "These costs can be avoided if patients dispose of medicines in the household trash," said PhRMA, adding that it believes this can be done in compliance with federal laws and in an environmentally responsible way.

Traci Cross of Castro Valley Community Action Network (CVCAN), a coalition working to reduce substance abuse among youths and adults in the community, is one of several workgroups in support of the ordinance.

"Other countries are already doing it so what's the hold up here?"

In Miley said the ordinance stresses product stewardship among the pharmaceutical industy.

"The proposed ordinance asks no less than what customers have already grown to expect from printer cartridges, paint or battery industry stewardship programs," he said.

This ordinance was approved 4-0 by the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 28. Supervisor Nadia Lockyer was absent from the meeting. The board will make its final decision on March 13 at 10:30 a.m. at the fifth floor of 1221 Oak St. in Oakland.

Pharmaceutical companies will then have until Jan. 1, 2013 to come up with a take-back disposal blueprint that covers generic and brand name drugs according to The Oakland Tribune. The county will then hold a public hearing within 90 days after receiving the plan.

The Alameda County Department of Environmental Health would oversee the program, implemented by the fees paid by the manufacturers.

Pharmaceutical companies would not be able to pass on any extra costs to customers, under the this measure. Companies that do not comply with it would be fined $1,000 per day and worst offenders would face misdemeanor charges.

(This is an abbreviated version of an article that appeared on Castro Valley Patch. To read that more extensive story, . To get San Leandro Patch delivered by email click here.)

 


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