Pennsylvania implements drug disposal pouch program

The US state of Pennsylvania plans to distribute 300,000 pouches for drug disposal in the 12 counties most affected by the upsurge in opioid use.

The state’s attorney general, Josh Shapiro, announced that beginning on 1 August, everyone filling prescriptions for Schedule II narcotics, including Oxycodone, Fentanyl, and Percocet, at participating pharmacies would have the option to receive the pouches.

Shapiro noted that 80% of people addicted to heroin begin with abusing prescription drugs, with most obtaining them from relatives, friends or their own leftover prescriptions.

Each pouch can deactivate up to 45 pills by adding warm water and is then safe to throw away with the rubbish.

Shapiro said 270 pharmacies in the 12 targeted counties have agreed to take part, with the aim of reducing the available supply of excess prescription drugs fuelling the opioid epidemic.

The counties most affected by the epidemic also have limited access to drug take-back boxes. From those boxes, the state collected and destroyed 23.59 tonnes of unused prescription drugs in 2016, and 20.58 tonnes during the first six months of 2017.

“The communities hit hardest by this epidemic have too often been ignored,” Shapiro said. “We hear their pain and today, we’re bringing the fight into small towns and local pharmacies across the state to help.”

In 2016, 4,642 people died from drug overdoses in Pennsylvania – a 37% increase from 2015.

Local pharmacies and national chains are taking part in the drug disposal pouch program.