Cegedim Relationship Management’s Chief Compliance Officer Presents at DEA’s Meeting on Disposal of Unwanted Controlled Substances

Ronald Buzzeo, RPh Provides Valuable Insight for New Disposal Strategies

BEDMINSTER, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Cegedim Relationship Management today announced that its Chief Compliance Officer, Ronald Buzzeo, RPh, presented in an advisory capacity at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) January 19 and 20 meeting on the development of procedures for the surrender of unwanted controlled substances. Cegedim Relationship Management is the Life Sciences industry’s leading global provider of Regulatory Compliance, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Data and Marketing solutions.

Ronald Buzzeo, a former Deputy Director of the DEA's Office of Diversion Control, presented his recommendations for addressing the growing concern of diversion, which is the unauthorized removal of a controlled substance from the legitimate distribution chain. The DEA has been charged by Congress with preventing diversion of controlled substances during the disposal process, and this public meeting provided an opportunity for experienced members of the Life Sciences industry to propose tactics for improving the structure of the disposal process.

In his address, Mr. Buzzeo recognized the importance of restructuring the disposal process due to the issues associated with diversion. These issues include not only the abuse of controlled substances, but the environmental effects on water and soil quality that are linked to improper disposal.

“A perfect example is this,” explained Mr. Buzzeo, “is after minor surgery, a patient is prescribed pain killers. There are 30 pills in the bottle, but the patient only uses 5 of them. What happens to the other 25? Frequently they are thrown in the trash or flushed down the toilet which has environmental ramifications. Or the pills might wind up in the hands of someone other than the patient.”

In his presentation to the DEA, Mr. Buzzeo recommended that new disposal procedures include a return process that is overseen by the DEA or law enforcement agencies, as well as specific safety measures to secure the transport of the unused medication. These security measures may include tamper and tear resistant disposal bags with signature lines, and receipt tracking for the passage of the substances. Disposal bags could be returned to either a retail pharmacy or a DEA reverse distributor, which is a secure site where the unused pharmaceuticals can be destroyed.

“Public education will be a critical tool in preventing improper disposal methods,” stressed Mr. Buzzeo. ”And in order for program adoption to be successful, procedures and administration for individuals and institutions must be kept as simple as possible.”

Cegedim Relationship Management
Global Communications
Drew BUSTOS, +1-908-443-2451
[email protected]
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Cegedim
Media Relations
Aude BALLEYDIER, +33 (0)1 49 09 68 81
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Source: Cegedim Relationship Management