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Senate Committee Hearing June 30 to Investigate Drug
Waste and Disposal in U.S.
Goal to reduce health risk of risky disposal,
like flushing drugs in toilets, leaving them in places accessible to children
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Fish and Wildlife Service
workers test river for contamination. |
June 29, 2010 – A U.S. Geological Survey in 2002 of
139 bodies of water in 30 states found over 80 percent of their water
samples were contaminated by prescription drugs and personal care
products. U.S. Senator Herb Kohl, Chairman of the Special Committee on
Aging has called a hearing of his committee tomorrow to look at the
risks associated with improper disposal and lack of disposal options for
consumers.
In calling the hearing, a news release from the
chairman’s office says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and
the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) post guidelines that
conflict with information posted by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Witnesses from Wisconsin and Maine will talk about
two successful programs that collect and dispose of excess medications.
Unfortunately, many such programs are unable to
accept the most dangerous types of controlled medication for disposal
due to provisions in the Controlled Substance Act, according to the news
release.
The Committee will also discuss strategies for
limiting drug waste on the front end, when it is produced and
prescribed.
The hearing will begin at 2 p.m., Wednesday, June
30, in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
It will be be webcast from the committee webpage:
http://www.aging.senate.gov/
Those scheduled to testify include:
► Gil Kerlikowske, Director of National Drug
Control Policy
► Joseph Rannazzisi, Deputy Assistant
Administrator, Office of Diversion Control, U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration
► Dr. Mary Hendrickson, Genco Pharmaceutical
Services, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
► Bernard Strain, whose son died last year as a
result of taking prescription medication that was not prescribed to him
after suffering an injury
► Dr. Stevan Gressitt, Founding Director, Maine
Institute for Safe Medicine
► Bruce Behringer, Associate Vice President and
Executive Director, Office of Rural and Community Health and Community
Partnerships, East Tennessee State University
