(A)
Each producer, either individually or jointly with other producers, or through a stewardship
organization shall develop a system of promotion and education that shall:
(1)
Promote the stewardship plan so that collection options for unwanted covered drugs
are widely understood by county residents, pharmacists, retail pharmacies of covered
drugs and health care practitioners including doctors and other prescribers, veterinarians
and veterinary hospitals, and promote the safe storage of covered drugs;
(2)
Work with collectors participating in stewardship plans to develop clear, standardized
instructions for county residents on the use of secure collection bins and a readily-recognizable,
consistent design of secure collection bins;
(3)
Develop display materials explaining how and where unwanted covered drugs may safely
and lawfully be disposed. These materials shall be legible and easily understood by
the average person. The display materials shall be submitted to and approved by the
director. Thereafter, materials shall be distributed to all retail pharmacies;
(4)
Establish a comprehensive and easy-to-use system for public information including,
but not limited to, a single toll-free telephone number and single website where collection
options and current locations of drop-off sites will be publicized, and prepare educational
and outreach materials promoting safe storage of medicines and describing where and
how to return unwanted covered drugs to the stewardship plan. These materials must
be provided to pharmacies, health care facilities, veterinary facilities, and other
interested parties for dissemination to county residents. Plain language and explanatory
images should be used to make use of medicine collection services readily understandable
by all county residents, including individuals with limited English proficiency;
(5)
Conduct a biennial survey of county residents and a survey of pharmacists, veterinarians,
and health professionals who interact with patients on use of drugs and who all operate
within the county. Survey questions shall assess: (1) the awareness of the stewardship
plans by percentage; (2) the extent that drop-off sites and other collection methods
are convenient and easy to use; and (3) the knowledge and attitudes about risks of
abuse, poisonings and overdoses from drugs and nonprescription medicines used in the
home. Draft survey questions shall be submitted to the director for review and comment
at least thirty days prior to initiation of the survey. Results of the survey shall
be reported to the director and made available to the public on the website required
in section 18C-17(A)(4) within ninety days of the end of the survey period. The privacy of all survey
respondents shall be maintained.
(B)
All surveys, outreach, education, promotion, websites, and toll-free phone numbers
required by this section 18C-17 shall be in English, Spanish, and other languages as determined by the department.