Federal Bill for Safe Opioid Disposal Gains Support
Last month, North Carolina’s U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson introduced the “Safe Disposal of Unused Medication Act,” a bipartisan response to the opioid crisis that could help prevent the misuse or diversion of unused medications.
The bill would give hospice professionals the legal authority to safely dispose of unused drugs after a hospice patient’s death. That would ensure medicine is not diverted out into the community.
“Making sure unused drugs don’t end up in the wrong hands is one of the biggest problems we face in fighting the opioid crisis,” said Hudson, whose 8th District includes Moore County. “I am proud to partner with Reps. Tim Walberg and Debbie Dingell on this common-sense legislation to allow trained hospice professionals to properly dispose of opioid medication after a patient has passed away. Combatting the opioid crisis is a priority of mine, and we will continue our critical work to save lives and restore our communities.
“In North Carolina, we have four of the top 25 worst cities for abuse in the country, including Fayetteville, North Carolina, in my district. I don’t believe there’s one silver-bullet solution, but I have honed in on one area that I do believe we can make a big difference. And that’s the proper disposal of opioid,” Hudson said, during a recent Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing to review eight legislative proposals pertaining to the Controlled Substances Act.
Hudson has been on the front lines of this committee’s work to learn more about how and why the opioid epidemic happened and what legislative solutions can be pursued. He was also the only member of Congress from the North Carolina delegation to attend the White House’s announcement to declare the opioid crisis a public health emergency last October.
“One idea I’m working on is expanding access to safe ways to dispose of prescription drugs, particularly opioids. DisposeRX is a company in my district that manufactures a powder that mixes with water inside the pill bottle and renders any unused opioids not only inaccessible and inextricable, but also bio-degradable. It’s innovative ideas like this that we need to explore and I look forward to working with colleagues on the Committee to help treat and prevent this opioid addiction,” Hudson said.