SANFORD, NC – Jan. 21, 2020 – DisposeRx, Inc., manufacturer of the market leading at-home medication disposal solution, has in place a network of more than 1,000 pharmacies in New Jersey ready to meet the requirements of new legislation signed into law today.
The bi-partisan legislation requires that pharmacists provide written and oral information on medication disposal, as well as a safe disposal method, for all controlled substances.
Governor Phil Murphy signed the bill after more than two years of legislative effort.
“New Jersey legislators and the governor have taken a huge step forward in battling the opioid public health crisis across their communities,” said William Simpson, DisposeRx President. “In anticipation of this milestone, our pharmacies and their pharmacists have DisposeRx packets in their inventories and are prepared to respond immediately. Education for pharmacists and technicians, and most importantly patients, is required for these efforts to gain traction. We’ll continue to support these stakeholders with our integrated and consultative program as these new regulations are implemented.”
The legislation, which was first introduced in 2018, honors Charlie Van Tassel who lost his battle to addiction in 2017 at 33 years of age.
“Reducing the supply of unwanted or unused opioids is something every community can and should do to prevent opioid diversion,” said Andi Williams, Executive Director, Community Outreach and Development for Community in Crisis, a federally-funded Drug Free Communities coalition focused on the opioid crisis in Somerset County. “Everyone can play their part, whether it’s organizing drug take back days or pharmacists providing consumers with education on safe disposal, thanks to Charlie’s Law. Our partnership with DisposeRx has helped equip a surgery center with DisposeRx packets for opioid naïve patients to safely dispose of their medications from home. This is a huge, cost-effective step in the right direction that we hope will serve as a model for other medical facilities to replicate.”
Ben Donaldson, DisposeRx Senior Vice President for Legislative Affairs, said, “DisposeRx has engaged with and invested in pharmacies, health plans, hospitals and legislators over the past three years to help them understand the risks associated with unused medications in the home and the need for behavior change. There is no doubt that this legislation will encourage and facilitate medication disposal behavior change so that disposal is an active decision rather than an afterthought.”
About DisposeRx Packets
DisposeRx at-home medication disposal packets are comprised of materials that are FDA-approved for oral medications and provide a simple, convenient and effective solution for the disposal of unused or expired medications. The active ingredient in the medication is chemically and physically sequestered in a polymer gel when water and the DisposeRx powder are added to a prescription vial and shaken. Patients can use the patented product with pills, tablets, capsules, liquids and powders and can then throw away the vial in the household trash.
About DisposeRx, Inc.
DisposeRx, Inc., a North Carolina-based company, is dedicated to decreasing the risks of drug diversion, overdoses, accidental poisonings and antibiotic resistance by facilitating medication management behavior change and eradicating the misuse of leftover medications. DisposeRx’s patented drug disposal packets and education programs are currently available at almost 50% of retail pharmacies and through 90% of the wholesale pharmacy and medical distributors across the nation. For more information, visit DisposeRx.com.
