Bill > S1233

This bill establishes a drug collection and disposal program in Massachusetts, overseen by the Department of Public Health, to safely collect and dispose of "unwanted drugs," which are defined as prescription drugs that are no longer wanted, intended for consumption, or are abandoned, discarded, or seized. The program will include a convenient and ongoing collection system for all drug formulations, ensure the security and safety of collected drugs, conduct public outreach to educate citizens about the program and the risks of improper disposal, and maintain a database of collected drugs. The program will be financed through a one-time $100,000 fee from pharmaceutical product manufacturers (entities that manufacture controlled substances, excluding hospital pharmacies) to set up the program, followed by annual assessments based on the retail value of covered drugs (certain prescription drugs in schedules II, III, or IV, excluding veterinary drugs, cosmetics, compounded drugs, sharps, and medication-assisted addiction treatment drugs) that they manufactured and were collected. Any excess funds collected beyond the program's operational costs will be deposited into the Substance Abuse Services Fund, and the Attorney General is authorized to enforce these provisions against manufacturers.