ALBANY—Governor Cuomo has signed legislation (A.9576-B) sponsored by Assemblywoman Aileen Gunther to require prescription drug manufacturers to pay for a statewide prescription drug take-back program.

“Currently, unused medications are being released into our soil and water through improper disposal or forgotten in medicine cabinets, where it can fall into the wrong hands and cause harm,” Gunther said. “This legislation will make it easy for people to protect the environment and their loved ones by getting rid of prescription drugs in a safe way.”

As a registered nurse, Assemblywoman Gunther is all too familiar with the risks that prescription medications can present when they are left unattended. In unsecured cabinets, even the most addictive drugs can be accessed by anyone and used inappropriately, potentially contributing to the opioid epidemic that is spreading throughout the country. And common disposal methods, like flushing unwanted pills down the toilet or tossing them into the trash, cause environmental pollution and endanger public health.

“Studies show that between 60-70% of teenagers who abuse prescription drugs get them from their parents' medicine cabinets,” Gunther said. “The opioid crisis is crushing our communities and this is another tool in fighting this terrible epidemic. We've made tremendous strides in recent years to expand the options consumers have to take back their unused medications, but this is by far the biggest step. This bill gives customers a take- back option at every single chain pharmacy in the state, and it does so without any cost to the consumer.”

The law requires drug manufacturers to pay for chain pharmacies to maintain drop boxes for unwanted medications or offer free envelopes for customers to mail back their unused prescriptions.