Counties Want Industry to Fund Pharmaceutical Waste Programs

Date: August 3, 2009

Source: News Room

The National Association of Counties (NACo) unanimously adopted a resolution urging industry, rather than federal, state or local governments, to fund and manage pharmaceutical take-back programs aimed at reducing the improper disposal of pharmaceutical waste. The move comes as EPA is facing strong criticism from a broad range of stakeholders, including some counties, over its proposal to ease pharmaceutical waste regulations, which the agency has argued would promote take-back programs. The agency is proposing to add pharmaceuticals to the list of so-called universal wastes under its Resource Conservation & Recovery Act regulations (RCRA). Critics charge that the proposal will be largely ineffective in encouraging take-back programs, saying implementation would be rendered moot if other federal agencies including the Drug Enforcement Administration do not similarly revise their own regulations.

The National Association of Counties (NACo): www.naco.org.

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