Pharmacist Group: Drug Take-Back Law Unclear

Last week, President Obama signed the Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010 into law - but one pharmacist group is saying the new law raises more questions than it provides answers.

The law permits community-based drug take-back programs and law enforcement officials to accept unused controlled prescription medications from long-term care facilities for safe disposal, thereby reducing the risk of the drugs being abused or misused.

However, the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP) has criticized the law, saying that it could actually lead to more uncertainty for those in LTC. The law allows the attorney general to establish guidelines for long-term care facilities disposing of medications, but it doesn't require that the attorney general make the guidelines. According to the ASCP, this leaves facilities and pharmacies without clear instructions on how to dispose of drugs.

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