Eli Lilly, Yellow Jug Old Drugs collaboration creates funding opportunity for 100 new Rx disposal sites at Indiana pharmacies

A new grant from Eli Lilly and Companies will offer funding for 100 new prescription drug disposal sites at pharmacies in Indiana so that Hoosiers can safety turn in unused medications and deter abuse, said Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller.

Eli Lilly and Companies recently gave a $30,000 grant to Yellow Jug Old Drugs, a program under the Great Lakes Clean Water/US Clean Water organization that provides prescription drug disposal services to pharmacies, so that members of the public can turn in unused medications for safe disposal and avert potential misuse.

An estimated 46 Americans die each day from prescription drug overdose, and more than six million people suffer from prescription drug abuse disorders in the U.S. Three out of four heroin users say they started out abusing prescription drugs.

Yellow Jug Old Drugs provides participating pharmacies with collection jugs and ongoing disposal services. Currently, 29 pharmacies in Indiana participate in Yellow Jug Old Drugs program. With the new grant, 100 new Indiana pharmacies will be able to participate at no cost for up to a year.

According to Yellow Jug Old Drugs, this is the first time a pharmaceutical company in the U.S. has provided support for a drug disposal program. The Indiana Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force helped facilitate this unique partnership.

“This type of collaboration – among government, nonprofit, the medical community and now the pharmaceutical industry – is exactly what we need in the fight to reduce controlled substance abuse in Indiana,” said Zoeller, creator and co-chair of the Task Force. “Urging proper and frequent disposal of prescription medications is critical to getting old, unused drugs out of home medicine cabinets where they are ripe for abuse. We know that a majority of Rx abusers obtain the drugs from family members or friends, so getting people to dispose of these medications before they lead to abuse can have a major impact.”

Zoeller thanked Eli Lilly for making a commitment to expanding Rx disposal options in Indiana and helping to reduce prescription drug abuse. Eli Lilly is a global health-care leader based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

“The Yellow Jug Old Drugs program is a great example of how the public sector, nonprofit organizations and the private sector can work together to address challenging issues,” said Bill Reid, Senior Director of Global Public Policy and Anti-Counterfeiting Operations at Lilly. “Lilly is proud to partner with Great Lakes Clean Water, Attorney General Zoeller and participating pharmacies in this program.”

Zoeller and his partners are urging any Indiana pharmacy that does not currently operate a drug disposal program to contact Yellow Jug Old Drugs and be among the pharmacies to utilize the new Lilly grant. Pharmacies interested in participating should call Yellow Jug Old Drugs at 989-736-8179 for more information.

“The Yellow Jug Old Drugs program is currently funded primarily by participating pharmacies who like our approach and the nonprofit model that keeps costs low,” said Chris Angel, president of Great Lakes Clean Water/US Clean Water. “In the near future we believe that more support will come from the pharmaceutical industry as well from individuals who are concerned about water quality. We all know first-hand the benefits we derive from pharmaceuticals, and we should all play a part in supporting programs that provide proper disposal of Rx-Waste.”

Eskenazi Health recently started the Yellow Jug Old Drugs program at 10 pharmacies in the greater Indianapolis area.

“Eskenazi Health has been interested in developing an unwanted medications take-back program for our community due to concerns for both the environment and the prescription drug abuse epidemic,” said Jim Young, Quality Assurance/Regulatory Pharmacist at Eskenazi Health. “The Great Lakes Clean Water/US Clean Water group has developed a well-designed program to help us safely take-back unwanted medications and dispose of them appropriately.”

Zoeller said encouraging safe disposal is one of the key goals of the Indiana Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force. The Task Force’s Drug Take-Back Committee has helped encourage permanent Rx disposal locations in all but four of Indiana’s 92 counties.

For a list of permanent disposal sites, click here. For more information on the Task Force and resources for the public, visit www.BitterPill.in.gov.

Since 2008, the Yellow Jug Old Drugs Program has collected more than 108 tons of Rx-Waste. The Yellow Jug Old Drugs program is currently available in the Great Lakes region, but by January 2016 it will be available to all states that allow Rx collection by pharmacies.

GLCW/USCW is the first nonprofit organization in the U.S. to be licensed as a Reverse Distributor by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Reverse Distributor designation is required to accept controlled substances from pharmacies for proper destruction. GLCW/USCW is one of 27 Reverse Distributors in the country.

More information about Yellow Jug Old Drugs including a complete list of participating locations can be found at www.GreatLakesCleanWater.org or www.USCleanWater.org.