I am very pleased to be a co-author of this legislation, and I thank the Attorney General and Rep. Mahan for the opportunity to address this issue. As someone who served over 20 years as an Indianapolis firefighter/EMT, I have unfortunately seen the problems of having unused prescription drugs around. I hope this legislation will have a positive effect on the community, statewide. This bill would allow pharmacies to participate in a disposal program to accept unused prescription medications, including controlled substances such as prescription painkillers. Prescription drugs are one of the most commonly abused substances-second to alcohol abuse-so the idea of not taking action has come and gone. In addition to lowering the amount of drug abuse, we will also help keep our local waters clean with less people flushing their expired prescriptions. If passed, the bill does not require pharmacies to participate in the drug disposal program, however many retailers are eager to implement the program to increase store traffic. House Bill 1121 was assigned to the House Committee on Public Health, which is chaired by Rep. Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville). During committee hearings, members present their bill to allow public testimony and the committee the opportunity to discuss the positive and negative aspects of the bill. In addition, committee members will address any necessary changes to the current language. To watch committee hearings or find the most up-to-date bill status, visit www.in.gov/legislative. |
