Defining and Evaluating In-Home Drug Disposal Systems For Opioid Analgesics

The proper disposal of unused or expired prescription drugs, particularly controlled substances such as opioids, may help to prevent serious risk of nonmedical use or overdose. In June 2023, the National Academies Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation hosted a hybrid public workshop to examine the scientific merit and practical implementation of drug disposal options to remove opioid analgesics from the home. Workshop participants considered potential strategies for encouraging and assessing the development and efficacy of in-home drug disposal systems that support the public health goal of mitigating the risk of nonmedical use or overdose associated with opioids.Table of ContentsFront Matter1 Introduction2 Life Cycle of Prescribed Opioids3 Envisioning Disposal Systems to Remove Opioids from the Home4 The Role of In-Home Opioid Disposal5 Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS)6 Regulatory Landscape for Household Opioid Disposal7 Scientific Considerations for In-Home Opioid Disposal8 Real-World Implementation and Use of In-Home Opioid Disposal Systems9 Reflections on the Design and Implementation of In-Home Opioid Disposal SystemsReferencesAppendix A: Workshop AgendaAppendix B: Biographical Sketches of the Workshop Planning Committee Members, Speakers, and Panelists