KINGSTON – Ulster County Executive Michael Hein is seeking county legislative support to enact a local law to require large chain pharmacies to take back unused prescription drugs.
This week Rockland County enacted a similar law. Hein said “based on our initial review they may have shown us a path that could help mandate this important action.”
In a letter to county legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle, Hein said they have all “worked together over the last few years to reduce the harmful impacts of opioid and heroin addiction in communities across our county.”
To heighten the fight against those drugs, the county executive said they have funded a family advocate “to assist individuals and their families in their moments of greatest need” by navigating through “the complex world of health insurance that acts as a major impediment standing between those addicted and possible recovery.”
The county is also in the process of finalizing a dedicated smart phone app to provide instant access to resources and they have asked the county workforce “to join in being a meaningful force for good by offering them access to training on the lifesaving anti-dose medication Narcan.”
There is still more to do, Hein said, noting the need to adopt legislation to require the large pharmacies to accept unused drugs to keep them out of the wrong hands.
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