SANTA FE – In a state with a sorry history of prescription drug overdoses, an Albuquerque lawmaker wants to provide a convenient way for people to clean out their medicine cabinets.

Democratic Sen. Michael Padilla will sponsor legislation in the upcoming session requiring retail pharmacies to start take-back programs to collect unused dangerous drugs.

“If you sell it, you’ve got to take it back when the consumer doesn’t want it any more,” said Padilla, who has filed his legislation in advance of the 60-day session that begins Jan. 20.

New Mexico ranked No. 3 in the nation in the rate of drug overdose deaths for 2012, according to Dr. Michael Landen, state epidemiologist with the Department of Health. That’s the most recent year for which national data is available.

Read more here: http://www.abqjournal.com/522813/news/pharmacy-takeback-program-proposed.html