Pinehurst Today

U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-09) has introduced the Safe In-Home Drug Disposal Initiative (SIDDI) Act of 2024 (H.R. 8570), aimed at creating a program for safe, convenient, and effective in-home opioid prescription disposal and safety education to reduce and prevent drug overdoses.

“Over the past decade, overdose rates have more than doubled - some of these being completely preventable,” said Rep. Hudson. “I am proud to address the opioid crisis head-on by giving incentives to provide safety education and resources for patients to dispose of their addictive medicines from their home.”

The legislation has garnered support from the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) and CPESN USA.

Background data indicates that in U.S. households, 42% to 71% of opioids go unused, posing a risk to public health with unintended dangers. As a response, Iowa and Missouri have implemented programs for safe and immediate disposal within homes.

The proposed program would enable pharmacists to engage with patients at the pharmacy counter to assess their understanding of medication disposal. Pharmacists would then provide appropriate disposal tools and methods based on this assessment.

In states where this initiative has been implemented, metrics are in place to evaluate disposal rates and changes in attitudes towards these medications. The pilot program is expected to expand to six additional states in the coming years.

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