Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires prescription drug manufactures to participate in a prescription drug disposal program beginning January 1, 2010.

Highlights:

-Requires drug manufacturers to participate in a program with other drug manufacturers, unless the Department approves an independent program, that does the following (Sec. 2):

-Operates and finances the collection, transportation, and recycling or disposal of unwanted drugs; -Finances all administrative and operational costs associated with implementation of the program; -Implements the program without charging a fee for disposal of unwanted drugs; and -Operates the program as approved by the Department of Environmental Protection.

-Requires the drug disposal program to include the following (Sec. 2):

-List of drug manufacturers participating in the program; -Performance goals, including recovery goals for the first, second, and third years of the program, expressed as pounds of unwanted drugs disposed per capita and an explanation of how the recovery goals have been set to recover a significant percentage of unwanted drugs from residential sources; -Description of a proposed collection system that that includes the use of prepaid, pre-addresed mailing envelopes; and -Handling and disposal system, including the following:
-Identification and contact information for hazardous wasted disposal facilities and other entities to be used by the program to collect and destroy unwanted drugs; -Policies and procedures to be followed by individuals in charge of collecting unwanted drugs; -Description of how the collected unwanted drugs are tracked to final disposal and how safety and security is maintained; and -Description of the public education effort and communications strategy, as required by this Act.

-Requires drug manufacturers to engage in the following education and outreach activities (Sec. 2):

-Promote the use of a program and the proper disposal of unwanted drugs so that collection options are understood by customers, pharmacists, retailers, and health care practitioners; -Establish a toll-free telephone number and publicly accessible website where collection options are made available; and -Provide educational and outreach materials describing where and how to return unwanted drugs.

-Defines "drug" as any of the following (Sec. 2):

-Articles recognized in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia and National Formulary or the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the U.S. or any supplement of those pharmacopoeias; -Substances intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease in humans or animals; -Substances, other than food, intended to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or animals; or -Substances intended for use as a component of any of the above substances, but does not include medical devices or their component parts or accessories.

-Specifies that the term "drug" includes all prescription drugs and nonprescription over-the-counter drugs and veterinary drugs in any form (Sec. 2). -Specifies that drug manufactures that are not in compliance are subject to civil penalties ranging from $100 to $25,000 per day (Sec. 2).

Full Bill Text