WINSTON-SALEM, NC, Jan. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inmar Intelligence, an experienced drug stewardship operator and leader in pharmaceutical reverse distribution, is happy to announce that, as of December 22, it has received approval as a stewardship organization for the State of Maine’s Drug Take-back Program. As a response to public health concerns, Maine and states across the U.S. have begun passing legislation mandating pharmaceutical manufacturer-funded drug stewardship programs. Inmar Intelligence is working with Maine and many of these other states to expand and enhance consumer drug take-back with a compliant, cost effective and cost-consistent solution.
Maine residents had early access to the benefits of Inmar’s consumer drug take-back initiative based on existing operations in that state that started in 2022. Across the existing network of disposal locations, 18,172 pounds of unused and expired drugs have already been collected from the State of Maine ahead of this approval. Based on its new position as an approved stewardship organization, Inmar will look to continue adding drug take-back locations to further fight drug misuse and abuse, accidental poisonings, and environmental damage through proper disposal options for unused medication.
Unused or expired drugs lurking in medicine cabinets have been a key source of Maine’s growing drug problem. The state has seen a 24% increase in drug overdose deaths since June 2021.¹ Clearing out surplus household drugs is a key step in helping reverse this growth. In addition to prescription drugs falling into the wrong hands, consumers often don’t realize old prescriptions tossed in the garbage or flushed down the sink are also a contributor to water pollution. According to a report from ScienceDirect, “47 different pharmaceutical drugs were detected in source water samples that feed into 25 drinking water treatment plants across the United States, and 37 different drugs were found in the water after it was treated.”² Clearly, providing Maine residents with access to safe, convenient disposal options is ecologically critical, and Inmar is actively involved.
Inmar Intelligence is the leader in the consumer drug take-back industry across the U.S., making it uniquely positioned to leverage its operational efficiencies, dispenser relationships and economies of scale to manage drug take-back programs of any proportion. Partnering with retail pharmacies, hospitals, law enforcement offices, and other permitted locations in multiple states, Inmar’s scalability and cost predictability is unmatched in the industry — which makes it a fierce ally in the fight against drug abuse for state-run programs.
Inmar is compliant in every state with mandated pharma-funded requirements and is able to leverage its existing infrastructure to provide a reliable, effective solution. With this recent approval from the State of Maine, Inmar will further expand initiatives which include a network of easily accessible drug take-back kiosks. Its drug stewardship program currently provides nearly 5,000 drug take-back receptacles across the country, with nearly 250 already operating in Maine, and continues to expand as states approve more mandated programs.
Inmar’s Consumer Drug Take-Back program collection services include:
- Safe and secure solutions for unwanted household medications
- Environmental protection from unwanted drug elements in the water supply
- Support for community efforts to combat the drug epidemic
- Compliance with all Federal, State, and local regulations including the DEA Secure and Responsible Drug Disposal Act of 2010
- A compliant, cost-effective, and cost-consistent solution for pharmaceutical manufacturers
For more information about Inmar’s Solutions for Healthcare, please visit inmar.com.
¹Ahmad FB, Rossen LM, Sutton P. ‘Provisional Drug Overdose Death Counts.’ National Center for Health Statistics. 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm
²Edward T. Furlong et al. ‘Nationwide reconnaissance of contaminants of emerging concern in source and treated drinking waters of the United States: Pharmaceuticals.’ ScienceDirect. February, 2017. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969716305551
About Inmar Intelligence
Commerce Accelerated.™
Through curiosity and the intelligent use of data and technology, we make businesses smarter to improve consumers’ lives. As a partner to healthcare organizations for over 40 years, we design, build and operate reliable, dynamic solutions to create greater efficiencies and enable connections that unlock the potential of sophisticated marketplaces and ensure safety along the drug supply chain for healthcare employees and patients
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