[B]URLINGTON — Gov. Peter Shumlin joined with health and law enforcement officials Thursday to promote a nationwide prescription drug take-back day, coordinated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and local officials.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sept. 26, Vermonters can take prescription drugs that they no longer need to collection sites throughout the state. To find the collection site nearest you, go to the DEA website or call 800-882-9539.
Prescription drugs, specifically opiates, are linked to the growing addiction crisis in the U.S. Shumlin said the take-back days are an important part of Vermont’s commitment combating the opiate epidemic he has made a hallmark of his term in office.
Too many people struggling with heroin addiction got their start using prescription opiates, Shumlin said. “Painkillers in the wrong hands are what leads to drug addiction,” he added.
As he has in the past, Shumlin took aim at the Federal Drug Administration for what he said is its role in fueling the nation’s drug epidemic by approving Oxycontin for children and its approval of the painkiller Zohydro, which the governor refers to as Oxycontin “on steroids.” Especially troubling, Shumlin said, is that Zohydro, unlike newer releases of Oxycontin, aren’t tamper-resistant, meaning they can be crushed and snorted or injected.
Shumlin said opiate addiction is impacting communities nationwide, and praised the Illinois Legislature which is poised to override Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a bill that, among other things, would allow the state’s Medicaid program to fully cover heroin addiction treatment.
Vermont has made a similar commitment to making heroin addiction treatment available to low-income people who rely on Medicaid, Shumlin said, and an anticipated $40 million gap in Vermont’s Medicaid budget next year won’t change that. His administration says it will make tough choices in its upcoming budget proposal to avoid reducing the availability of drug treatment for Medicaid beneficiaries.
Shumlin did say that declining federal reimbursements for Medicaid, which have shrunk steadily over the past five years, coupled with the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of the program’s income eligibility has created challenges for the state’s Medicaid program.
Already the Shumlin administration has cut in half what Medicaid will pay for group therapy sessions, creating savings of only $1 million. Advocates have decried that choice as running counter to Shumlin’s aims of reducing addiction. They say group therapy is a low-cost and effective treatment for people struggling with substance abuse as well as a range of other problems.
Health Commissioner Harry Chen said his department works closely with prescribers to educate them about the pitfalls of addiction for patients, and said the public should be aware of safe practices for prescription drugs as well.
Only use prescription drugs as advised by a physician, he said, and keep them in a secure location. Finally, if there are any leftover prescription drugs make sure to dispose of them safely.
Chen said drugs collected through the prescription take-back program are incinerated.
Lamoille County Sheriff Roger Marcoux said previous drug take-back days in Vermont have netted as much as 3,000 pounds of prescription drugs. In the previous take-back days nationwide, 4,823,251 pounds, or 2,411 tons of drugs were collected, according to a news release from the governor.
Vermonters can always bring unwanted prescription drugs to their local police department for safe disposal without fear of repercussions, officials said.
