The world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies are content to simply make drugs and sell them for handsome profits. But how do big pharma companies make sure those drugs don’t end up on the black market or in an addict’s hands? The answer: aside from one day each year, they don’t.

Unused Prescription Drugs Are Dangerous

Currently, drug companies participate in prescription drug disposal days sponsored by government agencies or charitable programs. These efforts, like National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, provide a safe way for consumers to return or dispose of unused drugs. The events also serve to educate consumers about the dangers of improper prescription drug disposal:

    • Prescription drugs left unused in a cabinet or drawer could be accessed by children or others who could accidentally poison themselves or overdose on the medication.
    • Leftover drugs may be stolen or illegally sold for use on the lucrative prescription drug black market.

    Opioid Drug Abuse Has Skyrocketed

    Prescription drug abuse in the US has quadrupled since 1991, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Opioid drugs in particular, such as OxyContin and Vicodin, are often the focus of prescription drug disposal programs. These drugs are powerfully addictive and sell extremely well on the street. Over 14,000 people died from opioid drug overdoses in 2014 alone.

    Big Pharma Feeling Pressure From Lawmakers

    So far Big Pharma has been able to dodge laws requiring them to fund prescription drug disposal programs. The largest US biotech and pharmaceutical trade associations even went so far as to sue Alameda County, California, for passing a law requiring their financial participation in prescription drug disposal, according to Fortune magazine. The US Supreme Court declined to hear the case, thus leaving the law intact.

    Take-Back Programs Have the Presidential Seal of Approval

    The Obama administration has been actively addressing the prescription drug abuse problem in America. In February, the President outlined a sweeping, $1-billion proposal to contend with drug abuse issues. He has worked with the DEA to make it easier for communities to launch their own prescription drug disposal programs.

    Hopefully, pharmaceutical companies will follow the President’s lead and pitch in to help solve some of the problems their products have caused.