With under a week remaining for drug producers to comply with the first stages of Washington State’s King County drug take-back and disposal program, industry and regulators alike are watching closely. As one of two first-in-the nation programs requiring drug manufacturers to bear the costs of organizing and implementing a drug take-back and disposal program for county residents, the program’s success may inspire wider adoption of laws requiring manufacturers to address end-of-life management for products. Following a Ninth Circuit decision upholding a California county’s similar program and the promulgation of the Drug Enforcement Agency’s final rule authorizing the return of controlled substances, pharmaceutical manufacturers must now register in both California and Washington counties or face civil penalties of up to $1,000 or $2,000 dollars per day, respectively.

Please read the full alert here.