New York State Department of Health and Department of Environmental Conservation Announce Approval of Two Drug Take Back Programs

Inmar Rx Solutions, Inc. and MED-Project, LLC Approved to Operate Safe Disposal Programs Statewide

Drug Take Back Programs Create Free, Convenient & Safe Disposal Methods

ALBANY, N.Y. (June 8, 2022) - The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), in consultation with the Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), today announced the approval of two Drug Take Back programs, proposed and operated by Inmar Rx Solutions, Inc. and MED-Project, LLC. These groups will now begin implementing their approved proposals statewide, and will soon provide New Yorkers with new, free, and convenient access to safe methods to dispose of their medications in environmentally friendly ways.

An important tool to combat the opioid epidemic, the Drug Take Back Act creates a statewide collection program for medications. All manufacturers whose medications are sold in New York State must participate and pay for the costs of the programs. Once implemented, there will be medication drop boxes and mail-back options in certain chain pharmacies and other locations throughout the state.

"Making it easier to properly dispose of unused or expired medications, that otherwise sit in bathroom cabinets, benefits the public and the environment by keeping dangerous and addictive drugs away from kids and other family members, and out of our waterways," said State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett. "I thank these companies for their partnership and look forward to growing this network of approved programs."

According to the 2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Annual Report, 9.3 million Americans misused prescription pain relievers, 5.1 million people misused prescription stimulants and 6.2 million people misused prescription tranquilizers or sedatives in 2020.The survey also found that most of the misused prescription drugs were obtained from family and friends, often from home medicine cabinets.

The Drug Take Back Act helps to prevent the diversion of addictive-controlled substances including opioids by providing convenient ways to get rid of them, thereby stopping addiction before it can start, and further helping to reduce overdose deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control, which has declared this public health threat an epidemic, nearly 841,000 Americans have died from drug overdoses since 1999, more than 107,000 of them in 2021 alone.

In March of 2021, NYSDOH issued final regulations governing the programs. The New York State Drug Take Back Act mandates that manufacturers establish, fund, and manage a New York State-approved drug take back program(s) for the safe collection and disposal of unused covered drugs. Chain pharmacies of 10 or more locations within New York State, and non-resident pharmacies that provide covered drugs to residents by mail, must participate in the programs by providing consumers with a pre-approved method(s) of collection and disposal.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos said, "Increasing the opportunities for New Yorkers to properly and easily dispose of unwanted medications will help protect water quality and safeguard public health and safety. DEC looks forward to working with the State Department of Health to continue to grow the network of Drug Take Back Program partnerships across the State."

"We are thrilled to announce the State of New York's approval of Inmar Intelligence as a Drug Take Back Operator," said Ann-Marie Daugherty, President of Supplytech at Inmar Intelligence. "We are honored to offer our support to such a pressing issue. Empowering individuals to responsibly dispose of unwanted and unused drugs is a critical service to help prevent prescription drug misuse, and we take immense pride in the ability of Inmar's technology platform and drug take-back network to support this mission and improve the safety of communities across the country."

"We are looking forward to offering safe medication disposal options to residents of New York and want to express our appreciation to the State Department of Health for their guidance and for our plan approval. MED-Project encourages residents to take their medication as prescribed, store it securely, and to safely dispose of expired or unwanted medicine," said Dr. Victoria Travis, MED-Project's National Program Director. "MED-Project's drop box locations and mail-back services make drug disposal New York's residents easy, convenient, and safe. We look forward to our continued work with the State Department of Health as we launch this statewide program."

For more information on the Drug Take Back programs to be operated by Inmar and MED-Project, visit their sites at:

Inmar: www.safemedicinedrop.com

MED-Project: https://med-project.org. New Yorkers who enter their zip code will be directed to https://med-project.org/locations/new-york/coming-soon/.

More information on the Drug Take Back Act is also available online at https://www.health.ny.gov/professionals/narcotic/drug_take_back.htm.