ENROLLED
2016 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 97
BY REPRESENTATIVE HOFFMANN
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To express the support of the legislature for the MyOldMeds campaign to promote safe
storage and in-home disposal of prescription medications.
WHEREAS, prescription drug abuse continues to be a significant public health
problem, and the nation's biopharmaceutical industry remains committed to working with
other stakeholders to find meaningful solutions to this problem such as community education
and collaboration with local, state, and national leaders; and
WHEREAS, prescription medications save and improve lives every day when taken
exactly as prescribed and for the intended purpose; and
WHEREAS, abuse or misuse of prescription medications can cause serious adverse
health consequences, including overdose and death; and
WHEREAS, approximately six million eight hundred thousand Americans took
prescription drugs for nonmedical uses in 2012; and
WHEREAS, nationally, deaths related to prescription drug overdoses tripled from
1999 to 2010, and Louisiana's overdose death rate is higher than the national average; and
WHEREAS, educating consumers about safe disposal of unused medicines can help
prevent drug diversion and abuse; and
WHEREAS, a preferred, safe, and secure way of disposing unused medicines
through household trash exists presently; and
WHEREAS, in-home medicine disposal, which is a method that has been proven to
be both effective and environmentally friendly, removes medicines from the home as soon
as they are no longer needed so that the medicines are not available for misuse or abuse; and
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WHEREAS, with few exceptions, the United States Food and Drug Administration
recommends in-home disposal through safe and secure steps such as placing medicines in
a sealable container such as a plastic bag, mixing with water and an undesirable substance
such as cat litter or coffee grounds, and placing the container in one's household trash; and
WHEREAS, the MyOldMeds program is an education campaign designed to increase
public awareness about the importance of secure storage and disposal of drugs and to
demonstrate an easy way for consumers to handle drug disposal independently, securely, and
efficiently; and
WHEREAS, the MyOldMeds campaign is being launched in Louisiana to enhance
consumer awareness and education about the in-home disposal process, which is the best
way to ensure that medicines are being disposed of properly; and
WHEREAS, the MyOldMeds campaign will help spread the word about safe and
secure disposal of medicines to help combat drug diversion and abuse and prevent accidental
ingestion.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
express its support for the MyOldMeds campaign for the purpose of increasing awareness
among policymakers, patients, and healthcare providers regarding safe and secure disposal
of prescription medicines.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America's senior director of state
advocacy for the territory encompassing Louisiana.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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