The Safe Drug Disposal Ordinance will require producers of covered drugs to fully fund the administrative and operational cost of an approved product stewardship program for the safe disposal of prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Revenue from fees paid, are expected to fully cover the cost of the Health Officer and Environmental Health staff for their administrative review and approval of the stewardship plans and any related investigation, inspections, audits, enforcement and adjudication thereof. The impact on the County General Fund is anticipated to be minimal to none.

On December 13th, Ordinance No. 2016-24, was introduced and established a prescription drug stewardship program in the unincorporated area of the County. Final adoption of the ordinance occurred on December 20th, 2016. The Department of Conservation and Development completed a California Environmental Quality Act review prior to the ordinance adoption.  
  
On November 14th, 2016, the Family and Human Services Committee received a report on, and copy of, a proposed ordinance for safe drug disposal. The report summarized the significant number of deaths associated with the misuse of prescription drugs and introduced the ordinance as a harm reduction strategy to assist with the removal of unwanted medications from the home environment. It was noted that a decade long increase in deaths associated with prescription opioids paralleled a decade long increase in sales of these same drugs.  
  
During adoption of the report, the Board of Supervisors directed staff to report back to the Board on progress made in implementing the ordinance. The Board asked the staff to respond to the following directives:  
  
• To report back to the Board in 6 months with an update on implementation as well as the following additional considerations.  
• To advise the Board on whether to establish additional requirements for drug stewardship organizations.  
• To advise the Board regarding opportunities to include hospitals as drop-off sites versus limiting drop-off sites to retail pharmacies and law enforcement.  
• To advise the Board on the advisability of including sharps as part of the program.  
• To update the Board on the County’s progress to seek adoption of similar ordinances in each city within the County.  
• To include a public awareness campaign that will increase awareness of the ordinance and provide useful information to pharmacies, law enforcement, cities and citizens, hazardous material collectors, and sanitation districts, and include an update in the report.  
  
The attached report addresses this request.

Failure to accept the report and consider the recommended amendments to the program will delay information the Board has requested.

This program supports the following Board of Supervisors’ community outcomes: “Children Ready For and Succeeding in School”; “Families that are Safe, Stable, and Nurturing”; and “Communities that are Safe and Provide a High Quality of Life for Children and Families." The primary expected program outcome is a decrease in accidental ingestion of prescription drugs by minors due to an increase in accessible and appropriate disposal options.

Speaker: Patty Hoyt, Contra Costa County MEDS Coalition.