220 likes | 396 Views
Product Stewardship for Waste/Unwanted Pharmaceuticals. Scott Cassel, Executive Director Product Stewardship Institute, Inc. NAHMMA Conference 2005 Tacoma, WA. Why the “sudden” interest?. Ubiquitous in our lives. Showing up in environment. USGS study – 2000
E N D
Product Stewardship for Waste/Unwanted Pharmaceuticals Scott Cassel, Executive Director Product Stewardship Institute, Inc. NAHMMA Conference 2005 Tacoma, WA
Why the “sudden” interest? • Ubiquitous in our lives. • Showing up in environment. • USGS study – 2000 • Some classes can act as endocrine disruptors • linked to abnormalities and impaired reproductive performance in some species. • might also be associated with changes in immunity and behavior, and skeletal deformities. • Need to know if impact. • Collections inhibited by regulations.
3 Classes of Pharmaceuticals • Over the Counter (OTC) • Prescription • Controlled substances (10-15%)
What are the sources? • Excretion • Disposal • Long-term care (e.g., nursing homes, group homes, etc.) • Hospice • Home disposal Don’t Know: Percentage contributed by each source
What are the pathways? • Flushing • Septic • WWTP biosolids and discharged to streams (after treatment) • Garbage • Lined landfills Landfill leachate WWTP biosolids and discharged to streams • Unlined landfills
How are they regulated? • Some regulated by RCRA. • Some not regulated by RCRA but should be based on characteristics. • Some are Controlled Substances regulated by DEA under Controlled Substances Act. • There is an HHW exemption for individuals regardless of toxicity. • There is an HHW exemption for collection in most states.
Key Issues • No agreement on whether pharmaceuticals present in environment are linked to human health or environmental problems. • No agreeement on the amount of waste/unwanted pharmaceuticals entering environment. • Some pharmaceuticals that should be regulated by RCRA are not. • Can’t legally collect controlled substances from the public without costly law enforcement and tracking.
Current Pilot Projects for Pharmaceuticals • Collections at hospitals • Collections at pharmacies • Collections at central locations (e.g. Senior centers, HHW facility, facilities and clinics)
Current Pilot Projects for Pharmaceuticals • Alachua County, FL • Palo Alto, CA • Clark County, WA • Marin County, CA • BC, Canada • L.A. and Orange County, CA
Pharmaceutical Take-back Programs Must Address • Concerns of anonymity • Security of collection method • Collection of Controlled Substances • Compliance with national/local hazardous waste legislation
Who are the Catalysts? • Dave Galvin, King County WA • Laurie Tenace, FL DEP Other Funders: • San Francisco CA • Santa Monica CA • San Benito County CA • Palo Alto, CA • Central VT Solid Waste Mgt Agency
What is Product Stewardship? “Product Stewardship" is a principle that directs all those involved in the life cycle of a product to take shared responsibility for reducing the health and environmental impacts that result from the production, use, and end-of-life management of the product.
PSI Dialogue Process • Research • Pharmaceutical Stewardship Action Plan • Dialogue • 4 meetings over a year • Numerous workgroup conference calls • Project Implementation • Designing a nationally coordinated pharmaceuticals management system
PSI Pharmaceutical Product Stewardship Action Plan • Problem Statement • Focus • Goals • Key Issues • Potential Solutions • Process
Focus • Unwanted/waste pharmaceuticals • Households • Long-term care facilities (nursing homes, hospice care) • NOT focused on: • Personal care products • Non-pharmaceutical endocrine disruptors
Primary Goals 1. Evaluate need and opportunities for nationally coordinated system for management of unwanted/waste pharmaceuticals that allows for multiple solutions to reflect regional differences.
Primary Goals 2. Increase the safe, legal, and env’lly protective collection and disposal of unwanted/waste pharmaceuticals through development of best management practices.
Secondary Goals • Identify opportunities for reducing unwanted/waste pharmaceuticals • Evaluate the amount of unwanted/waste pharmaceuticals available for proper management.
PSI Role in Dialogue • Facilitate/mediate the dialogue • Provide technical research and analysis • Design and implement pilot projects • Clearinghouse for pharmaceuticals product stewardship policies, programs, and data. www.productstewardship.us • Glue holding the pieces together….
Players • Pharmaceutical companies/associations • Research and Development • Generic • Government • Pharmacies • WWTP and Water Treatment Associations • Others
Next Steps: PSI Dialogue Process • Complete Action Plan • Dialogue • Pending interest • Pending funding OR…
Heidi Sanborn PSI Consultant (916) 485-7753 Hksanborn@comcast.net Scott Cassel PSI Executive Director 617-236-4855 scott@productstewardship.us www.productstewardship.us For More Information Contact…